The Tripura government has been sponsoring the Puja in the Durga Bari temple for the last 70 years.

 

"For the first time in 525 years, there would be absolutely no sacrifice of animals during the five-day 'Durga Puja'. We would abide by the order of the Tripura High Court," Dulal Bhattacharjee, the octogenarian chief priest of Durga Bari temple said. 

 

The 92-year-old Bhattacharjee's son Jayanta Bhattacharjee said that as per the order of the 'Debarchan Vibhaga' (worship wing) of the West Tripura district administration, no animal sacrifice would be carried out in Durga Bari temple.

 

"Till last year, a young buffalo, several goats and pigeons were sacrificed during the five-day festival at Durga Bari," Jayanta, also a priest said.

 

A division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Arindam Lodh in a landmark judgement on September 27 ordered that no person including the state government shall be allowed to sacrifice any animal or bird within the precincts of any of the temples in the state of Tripura.

 

Tripura's Law and Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath told IANS that the state government in a day or two would file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court against the Tripura HC order.