Minister for Cooperation Sellur K Raju and District Collector T Anbalagan flagged off the event at 0800 hours that will go on till 1600 hours.
It is the first officially permitted Jallikattu event organized as part of the ongoing Pongal festivities in the state.Official sources said, around 430 tamers and 830 registered bulls were participating in the day-long event.
Mr Gandhi, who will arrive by a special flight at Madurai from New Delhi this afternoon, will drive straight to the venue.
After witnessing the event for a couple of hours, he will return to the National Capital.The Congress leader will be accompanied by TNCC president K.S.Alagiri, Congress Legislative Party Leader K.R.Ramasamy and DMK's youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin and others.
Around 2,000 policemen were deployed at the Jallikattu venue under the direct supervision of Commissioner of Police Prem Anand Sinha.
The Jallikattu event is being conducted by ensuring compliance with the COVID-19 safety norms. Arrangements have been made in the spectators' gallery to ensure personal distancing. The spectators were allowed after undergoing thermal screening and wearing face masks.
