Agartala, Oct 20 A buffalo and a few goats were sacrificed at Durgabari temple here on Tuesday as part of the Maha Nabami rituals of the Durga Puja festival, a priest said.
The 149-year-old tradition of animal sacrifice was observed at the temple amid the chanting of mantras, and the animal sacrifice site was covered from public view as per the directive of the Supreme Court, he said.
“We have a century-old tradition of sacrificing animals to Goddess Durga on the day of Maha Nabami as part of the worship. The ritual was conducted at a site concealed from public view. In fact, worshipping of Goddess Durga will remain incomplete without animal sacrifice,” Jayanta Bhattacharjee, the priest of the temple, told PTI.
In 2019, a division bench of the Tripura High Court, headed by then Chief Justice Sanjoy Karol, had imposed a ban on animal and bird sacrifices in temples, including the Maa Tripura Sundari temple in the northeastern state.
Later, following a petition, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court’s order banning animal sacrifice in temples, while imposing certain restrictions.
“Tomorrow (Dashami), the police will present a guard of honour to Goddess Durga at the temple early in the morning, and then the holy pitcher will be escorted to Ujjayanta Palace where the successors of the royal family will bid adieu to Goddess Durga,” Bhattacharjee said.
Pradip Debnath, the temple in-charge, said there was no specific vegetarian or non-vegetarian menu for Goddess Durga at the temple.
“We offer Goddess Durga whatever devotees donate or sacrifice at the temple. There is no bar on meat and fish here,” he said. The puja is organised by the West Tripura district administration on behalf of the Manikya dynasty.
(PTI News)
