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First time 'No Bloodshed' in Tripura Sundari temple, High Court’s order of banning ‘Bali’ implemented on ‘Maha Astami’
TIWN Oct 6, 2019
First time 'No Bloodshed' in Tripura Sundari temple, High Court’s order of banning ‘Bali’ implemented on ‘Maha Astami’
PHOTO : Long rows to offer Bhog at Udaipur Matabari on Maha Astami. TIWN Pic Oct 6, 2019

UDAIPUR, Oct 6 (TIWN): Marking a historical day, first ever in 518 years history, no “Bali” was offered to Goddess Tripura Sundari under High Court’s order. This bloodshed less Puja was started on the holy occasion of Durga puja’s Maha-Astami. Since the morning mass crowd was seen in Matabari, devotees rowed up whole day to offer “Bhog” to Goddess Durga, but no goat was sacrificed, no cry of innocent animals were heard. What was heard was only “matra” and “slokas”. The Matabari priests conformed to media that this practice of “Bali” has been stopped now under District Magistrates order which asked to implement High Court’s order. However, it was little late to implement the High Court order in Matabari but today the “bali” has been stopped under High Court’s order. In all temples same practice is being followed. There would be no sacrifice of animals during Durga Puja in the famous Durga Bari temple here for the first time in 525 years as the Tripura High Court has banned the centuries-old tradition of animal sacrifice in religious places.

 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 told media.

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 however said 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.

On September 27, in a historical verdict, Tripura High Court today has restricted superstitious, barbaric “Bali” system (animal sacrifice) across all Hindu Temples.

The verdict was given after a Writ petition was filed in the High court. High Court division bench, Justice Arindam Lodh issued order.

The petition was filed by former Justice Subash Bhattacharjee.

According to the verdict, from now, each temple in Tripura will be restricted from this practice of animal sacrifice.

Animal Sacrifice remained as a controversial issue but never solved although time to time debates, essay competitions were organized about this controversial religious practice.

Petitioner Subash Bhattacharjee while placing his points said that the merger deal with Govt of India and Tripura signed under the agreement of bearing the cost of the pujas by Govt but nowhere it is written that the “bali” process too has to be followed and organized by the Govt. 

Bhattacharjee also quoted if under Supreme Court’s order open-bali system can be stopped which says only in slaughter houses “animal-killing” will be allowed why not in case of temples ?

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