Animals spared of sacrifice in pandemic-hit Odisha

Chatar competition in the Bhawanipatna city of Odisha’s Kalahandi district, which is normally marked by the sacrifice of 1000’s of animals and birds, handed off with out a lot bloodshed on Friday.

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kalahandi district administration imposed a strict safety blanket that didn’t let devotees kill animals and birds in propitiating Goddess Manikeswari.

Every yr, the idol of Goddess Manikeswari is taken to Jena Khal on the outskirts of the city, and after the efficiency of secret rituals, the deity returns to her abode. The return journey is called Chatar Yatra.

Lakhs of devotees from Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal take part in the competition. A 3 kilometre important thoroughfare, and close by lanes and by-lanes, flip pink with animal blood. On this event, virtually each household has an animal or fowl to sacrifice.

This yr, the Orissa High Court had ordered ban on animal sacrifice. “No person including the State shall be allowed to sacrifice any animal or bird during ‘Chatar Yatra’ festival on the public road or in and around the precincts of the temple,” the Orissa HC had ordered whereas performing on a public curiosity litigation.

“God is the creator of the universe. He has created the human beings, animals, birds and all the species on this earth. The animals and birds breathe like us. They have also a right to live in harmony with human beings and the nature. Like the parents cannot tolerate to see the blood of their children, deity cannot be pleased by sacrificing the animals,” it noticed.

The HC had directed the administration to generate consciousness amongst individuals earlier than prohibiting the animal sacrifice.

However, Supreme Court had stayed the Orissa HC courtroom order, which meant there was no restriction on animal sacrifice.

“People have celebrated the festival by staying inside their home. We had taken a preparatory meeting on the COVID-19 pandemic and sought cooperation. It was then decided that Chatar festival would be held without any devotees,” stated Kalahandi District Collector Gavali Parag Harshad.

Similarly, Kalahandi Superintendent of Police Battula Gangadhar stated that, as matter of precaution to keep away from crowds in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, 13 platoons of police have been deployed. Prohibitory orders below Section 144 of the CrPC have been imposed to keep away from assembling of devotees.

In the wee hours of Saturday, the competition was celebrated with a restricted numbers of devotees and authorities officers. A troupe of conventional Ghumura dancers participated in the procession.