Animal sacrifice at Hindu temples: India
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Goddess Aradhya Devi
Bunkhal village Pauri district Uttarakhand
Mass animal sacrifice in Uttarakhand village
DS Kunwar
Dehradun
Law takes a backseat when it comes to religious sentimentality in India. In a grave violation of law, more than 31 male buffaloes and 135 goats were sacrificed in a temple premises to appease Goddess Aradhya Devi allegedly by her devotees during a day-long annual fair at Bunkhal village in Pauri district.
Police sources said although the practice of mass animal sacrifice was a cognizable offence under Prevention of Cruelty Act, it had been going on for several years right under the nose of senior Uttarakhand administrative and police authorities including Pauri District Magistrate (DM) Dilip Jawalkar and SP Pushpak Jyoti in Dehradun and Pauri.
Police sources said senior administrative and police authorities decided to put a check on mass animal sacrifice at the Bunkhal temple after members from different animal lovers' organizations and groups who find the practice "inhuman, brutal and cruel" raised their voices.
The people of Uttarakhand said they were shocked to see that despite their crusade against this age-old practice of mass animal sacrifice, the Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank government had not bothered to impose a blanket ban on this inhuman practice. Instead the government offered an excuse that "the practice of mass animal sacrifice had been handed down from centuries ago and was a part of religious rituals and so it was not possible to check it to by force."
Residents of nearby villages including Chorikhal in Pauri district, told TOI that as per this practice, the animals are first taken to nearby Chorikhal village where vermilion is applied on their foreheads. Then they are taken to Bunkhal temple for "sacrifice." They are slaughtered one by one, with sharp-edged weapons -mini and huge daggers (Khunkhri and Farsa) -by the villagers while offering their special prayers to the goddess.
Pauri DM Jawalkar and SP Jyoti said they had taken more than 12 goats and 23 buffaloes into their custody which were being taken for sacrifice and lodged FIR against all those responsible for mass animal sacrifice.
The officials said they had yet to identify and ascertain the exact number of persons involved in mass animal sacrifice.
"They all will be named in FIR lodged in the police station for breach of peace under section 151 of CRPC and under prevention of cruelty act as soon they are identified", the officers said.
Kali temple
Darbhanga, Bihar
2023
Manoj Chaurasia, Dec 18, 2023: The Times of India
Animal sacrifice ban at temple triggers political slugfest in Bihar
Patna : An order by Bihar’s Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance government banning animal sacrifice at an old Kali temple in Darbhanga has triggered clashes between groups supporting and opposing the practice, reports Manoj Chaurasia. The row has taken a political turn with Union minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh questioning the ban on the grounds of cruelty to animals and asking why similar concern was not shown over such sacrifices in Bakrid. “Why do so-called animal lovers, who see the animal sacrifice at Hindu temples as an act of cruelty, don’t express similar concerns during Bakrid?” Giriraj asked amid tensions around the Shyama Ma temple. According to the minister, such rituals were banned in several places earlier but had to be restored following demands from the people. “Kya woh Bakrid mein bali pratha ko rok payenge? (Will they be able to stop animal sacrifice in Bakrid),” Singh asked. The Bihar State Religious Trust Board (BSRTB) issued the ban order for the Darbhanga temple on December 13, claiming it had complaints.
Naina Devi temple, Nainital
Pankul Sharma, August 30, 2025: The Times of India
Dehradun : Uttarakhand high court, while hearing a public interest litigation seeking the establishment of a temporary slaughterhouse for animal sacrifices during the Nanda Devi festival at Naina Devi temple in Nainital allowed slaughter of goats at the municipal abattoir while retaining the ban on animal sacrifice within the temple premises.
The festival in the lake town began on Aug 29 and will conclude on Sept 5. Animal sacrifice is part of the rituals. HC had banned slaughter in the temple in 2011, a decision that was reiterated and upheld in 2015. The court in 2016 allowed sacrificial goats inside the temple but continued the ban on slaughter on the shrine premises.
On Friday, the HC bench, comprising Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Subhash Upadhyay, instructed the municipality to designate a location for the slaughter at the abattoir and directed the pollution control board to issue a no-objection certificate. Goats will be escorted to the temple complex under police protection and then transported to the slaughterhouse for sacrifice after the rituals.
Rohitash Sharma, executive officer of Nainital municipality, said, “The slaughterhouse in Tallital Harinagar had several issues since 2022, including absence of a blood drainage system, electricity and waste disposal, all of which have now been addressed. Animal sacrifices can now take place at the slaughterhouse.” HC also ordered a food inspector to conduct checks during the sacrifice and mandated adherence to all regulations.
Pawan Jatav, a local, and others had filed the PIL, stating the tradition of sacrifice during the Nanda Devi festival has been practised “since time immemorial”. The plea requested permission to set up a temporary slaughterhouse for goat sacrifices during the festival to respect religious beliefs. “This type of interim order is passed keeping in view the fact that the festival is starting from today (Friday), and the learned chief standing counsel submitted that if the sacrifice to the deity is prevented, it may create law and order problem,” HC said.
Animal rights activists opposed the move, saying the state must discourage animal sacrifice and educate the masses against superstitious ritual slaughter. Gauri Maulekhi from People for Animals, an animal welfare organisation, said animal sacrifice in public places harms the environment.
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Animal sacrifice at Hindu temples: India
