50000 animals sacrificed for Chhattar

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-23/bhubaneswar/34679377_1_animal-sacrifice-deity-procession

BHUBANESWAR: Like every year, faith took precedence over reasoning at Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district. Nearly 50,000 animals were sacrificed along the main thoroughfares of the town on Monday to propitiate Manikeswari during 'Bijaya Yatra' of the annual Chhattar festival.

This happened despite the best efforts of the administration to check animal sacrifice. The number is 20% more compared to last year, sources said.

"Animal sacrifice took place despite our best efforts. We had launched awareness campaigns a week before the festival, but that didn't bear fruit," said SP (Kalahandi) S Ahmed.

More that one lakh people took part in the procession of Manikeswari, the presiding deity of the area. She was taken in a procession from Jenakhal after Sandhi puja to Bhawanipatna, which is the permanent abode of the deity, amid the rhythmic beats of Jenabadya, Nisan and Ghanta (traditional musical instruments) and dancers performing 'Ghumura' and martial art forms.

Devotees lined up along the road for a glimpse of the goddess. "We believe that we will get rid of out vices and diseases by sacrificing animals. Every year we participate in the festival to invoke the deity's blessings," said Madhu Chandan, a devotee.

The municipality authorities were asked to clean the bloodied roads after the festival. "We engaged around 50 sweepers to clean the roads after the rituals. The civic body was entrusted with the cleaning work two days before the festival," said Loknath Tiwari, executive officer of the municipality.

Every year before the start of the sacrifice ritual on Asthami, two swords belonging to the goddess are washed in the pond located behind the Bhawanipatna royal palace. These are then worshipped and brought back to the temple in a procession. Then a buffalo is sacrificed at the Budharaja or Vairab temple, a satellite shrine of the Manikeswari temple.

This is the only time the deity is worshipped during the year. Following this ritual, the Chhattar or umbrella of the goddess, along with two swords of the deity, are taken out for the procession.

Animal lovers stage stir in city

Animal lovers under the banner of Vishwa Prani Kalyan Mandal took out a rally from the city to Kappadi in K R Nagar taluk in the district on Monday demanding the ban on animal sacrifice.

The rallyists comprising members of Vishwa Prani Kalyan Mandali, Pinjrapole Society and other like-minded organisations began the rally from Kote Anjaneya Swamy temple premises in Mysore Palace north gate. Led by the president of  the mandali Seer Sri Dayananda the rally got an unique start by feeding cattle.

Addressing the gathering, the seer said though a law was introduced prohibiting animal sacrifice in the year 1964, no governments have heeded to it.

Though BJP government in the State made an attempt to effect a law against cattle slaughtering, the related bill is pending before the President of India for the latter’s consent. The irony here is high courts and Supreme Court have also been vocal in instructing the government to adhere to the law against animal sacrifice, but to no avail. 

The animals are being killed in the name of god and religion during fair and other auspicious occasions. It’s evident with animals being sacrificed in large numbers at Rachappaji and Siddappaji jatra mahotsava at Kappadi, the seer added.

Coops stage stir

Various cooperative associations staged stir in front of the office of deputy commissioner opposing the move to impose direct tax on the revenue generated by central cooperative associations.The protesters under the collective leadership of cooperative S R Narayan Rao, secretary Hemanth Kumar Gowda, D S Shindhe alleged that the proposed tax will be detrimental to the revenue earned and will also affect milk producers, weavers, artisans among other cooperative associations who cannot evade paying tax.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/233907/animal-lovers-stage-stir-city.html 

Ruling the roost!

It’s all fowl play on Nehru Road as a henpecked temple cock stops terrorising local residents after they find him a mate — but he still can’t resist the occasional tipple  

This isn’t quite a ‘fowl’ story, since it seems to have a happy ending. A rooster, who had been throwing his weight around near the Sant Gadge Maharaj Math on Nehru Road has now become quite popular with local residents as something of a local pet. Having started out terrorising the people around with a rather aggressive demeanour after he was abandoned there, he soon lost that fighting edge and endeared himself to local residents — as soon as his fighting energies were channelled elsewhere. 

When the cock first came to the area around six months ago, his presence brought fear into the hearts of some concerned parents, since they allege that he used to charge at their kids while they were playing. To deflect his attention away from frolicking children, some local youths brought in a fighter hen to mate with the rooster — after which they say the chasing and aggression magically stopped.

The feathered couple stay, supported by local residents, in a coop near the area’s temple and mostly live off devotees’ offerings

Popatrao Gaikwad, a fan of the bird, said the rooster stays around the 90-year-old Munjoba Temple, which was intially located off the road. “Now the temple has come onto the road and the two birds keep circulating around it, relishing offerings devotees leave there. The rooster is so famous that he literally keeps small kids and new people under check,” he said. 

Kanhaya Naidu, a local resident, said that the rooster was first abandoned in the area after it was brought there by an unnamed devotee to be slaughtered at the altar — but he was persuaded not to do so. “The bird was lean back then, but has now become nice and beefy. Earlier, the rooster was chased around by cats and dogs. Now, he throws his weight around strangers and is loved by all here. Some local drinkers even drop a little liquor into his food bowl, which he happily laps up,” he said. 

Mandal workers have built a small coop near the temple where the feathered couple live together, under the watchful eyes of local residents.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/MIRRORNEW/navigator.asp?Daily=MMIR&showST=true 

Hope soars after end to animal slaughter at Bunkhal Fair

The successful end to animal slaughter in the name of religion at the Bunkhal Fair has raised hopes among animal rights activists in the State.

Activists now hope that the successful prevention of animal sacrifice at Bunkhal will set an example and pave the way for the Uttarakhand High Court ordering a blanket ban on all mass animal sacrifice.

The People For Animals, Uttarakhand member secretary and co-opted member of the Animal Welfare Board of India, Gauri Maulekhi said that they are eagerly awaiting the final hearing of the case filed by PFA Uttarakhand in the High Court which is slated to be held on November 29.

Activists are hopeful that the barbaric practice of animal slaughter ritual will also be discontinued in other temples in different parts of the State which it is presently continuing following the end of this practice at Bunkhal. The fair held at Bunkhal was infamous for the thousands of animals sacrifice including of buffaloes, goats and birds.

PFA had filed a petition in the Uttarakhand High Court last year calling for an end to what is not only an inhuman practice but also a violation of various laws.

However, in spite of efforts made by the district administration and animal activists, some animal were slaughtered in the previous year. This year however, the goddess was offered milk in stead of the blood.

Maulekhi informed that the PFA will now focus its efforts on preventing the continuation of the barbaric mass slaughter of animals held at Gangolihat in Kumaon region of the State.

Many animals are slaughtered here every year during the festival of Dusshera. Speaking on the issue of the implementation of Animal Sacrifice Prohibition Act to check mass sacrifice in temples, she said though the draft document was ready, the State Government didn’t take any initiative towards bringing the Act into implementation in the Uttarakhand.

Where Diwali comes late and brings on animal slaughter

Shimla : Almost a month after the rest of India celebrated Diwali, some interior areas of Himachal Pradesh are set to usher in the festival Friday, slaughtering hundreds of animals in celebration, in keeping with the tradition.

The mythical reason for the delayed Diwali, say locals, is that the news of Lord Ram's victorious return to Ayodhya reached late in these parts, Prem Parshad Pandit, member-secretary of the state temples committee, told IANS.

The festival, locally known as Buddhi Diwali (or old Diwali), is mainly celebrated in Ani and Nirmand in Kullu district, Shillai in Sirmaur district, and Chopal in Shimla district.

The celebrations are spread from three days to a week, depending on local traditions and custom. Festivities start on the first 'amavasya', or new moon of the lunar half, after the regular Diwali.

People dance and sing folklore related to the epic Mahabharata through the night in front of bonfires, amid the beating of drums and playing of trumpets to appease the gods. They carry out processions with the flame of the bonfire. It's also associated with the Mahabharata battle which is said to have started on the first day of Buddhi Diwali.

In Kullu district, the festival is celebrated to commemorate the killing of the demons, Dano and Asur, who resided there in the form of snakes. Hundreds of goats, sheep and buffaloes are sacrificed.

As per tradition, villagers take animals to a nearby temple where the sacrificial ceremony is performed on 'amavasya'. The severed heads are offered to the deities and the meat is taken home for cooking. The feast is shared by villagers.Pandit said there are certain local customs that the government cannot prohibit.

"The sacrificing of animals to appease gods has been followed for decades. The government is educating the people to do away with it. In some areas, people have stopped it, but it's more or less a symbolic exercise," he added.

Octogenarian Leela Devi, a villager in Shillai area of Sirmaur, said: "The animal sacrifice ensures protection of our crops and livestock from natural calamities. We rear animals specially for the festival."

She said the feast prepared from the slaughtered animals is served among the entire community. "Even the leftover meat is stored for consumption during winter. Actually, the celebrations mark the onset of a harsh winter."

The festival also has a brighter side. The locals clean their houses, purchase utensils, bangles and clothes and cook special dishes.

However, animal protection groups have demanded that the practice of animal killing be stopped.

A centuries-old Buddhist shrine, the Key monastery in Spiti Valley in Lahaul and Spiti district, last year appealed to people to stop slaughtering animals and be more humane to other species. 

The monastery has even warned locals, mostly Buddhists, that if they are caught slaughtering animals, including wild ones, or drinking liquor, a fine of Rs.20,000 would be imposed on them.

High prices of goats in city may dampen Bakri Eid spirit

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/High-prices-of-goats-in-city-may-dampen-Bakri-Eid-spirit/articleshow/10546815.cms

MUMBAI: Low production and rise in transportation costs have led to high prices of goats before Eid-ul-Azha or Bakri Eid, the Muslim festival of animal sacrifice, which falls on November 7.


Community leaders feel the rise in price of goats may dampen the spirit of the festival as many families will either cut down on the number of goats they buy for Bakri Eid or forgo the sacrifice completely this year.
Goat traders at the Deonar slaughterhouse, the biggest goat market for Bakri Eid in Mumbai, complained of "poor" business so far this year. "A goats weighing 20 kg costs between Rs 12,000-15,000. Due to heavy rain in Rajasthan, MP and UP, which supply a substantial number of goats to Mumbai, production was severely affected," said Ashfaque Babalal, vice-president of Maharashtra Sheep and Goat Brokers' Association. Babalal added that till date, about 1 lakh goats had reached Deonar, but sale was slow due to high prices. It may pick up as the three-day festival nears.

Organizations representing the Qurieshi community (meat sellers) alleged harassment not just by animal rights activists and but some members of Hindutva organizations like the Bajrang Dal. "Many animals are confiscated even before they reach Mumbai and these are seldom returned to traders," alleged Khalid Qureishi, Mumbai president of All India Jamiatul Qureish. "Every year we protest, but the problem persists," he added.

On Friday, a delegation of Muslim clerics and activists met CM Prithviraj Chavan and complained that trucks carrying goats were being stopped by activists. "We requested the CM to ask authorities to adopt leniency while enforcing different sections of the cruelty to animals Act. He promised to do the needful," said M A Khalid, who was part of the delegation.

"While Muslims must respect the sentiments of Hindus when sacrificing animals, it will be a denial of our constitutional rights if we are stopped from practising our religious rituals," said Sami Bubere, a member of the delegation

Animal sacrifices mark end of Kullu Dussehra

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/animal-sacrifices-mark-end-of-kullu-dussehra/859069/

Kullu Animal sacrifices marked the end of the famous Kullu Dussehra here on Wednesday afternoon. Former ‘Raja of Kullu’ Maheshwar Singh, a senior BJP leader and former MP, who leads the procession of dieties called Jaleb in local dialet with Raghunath riding a ceremonial chariot, said the animals that are sacrificed are first worshiped and then offered to deities. 

“This is a practice being followed from time immemorial. It’s linked to people’s strong faith and religious traditions in the Kullu valley,” he told The Indian Express at Dhalpur maidan—a temporary abode of Raghunath and 226 deities for past one week. 

The BJP leader is also the chief kardar of Raghunath and is residing at a specially fortified camp at Dhalpur maidan with his entire family. Singh defended the tradition and said earlier too animal rights activists like Maneka Gandhi had written to him and opposed the sacrifice. “I said no one has a right to ask me for putting an end to the tradition since that’s what Kullu Dussehra is all about,” he said. 

“In my letter to Maneka Gandhi, I posed her questions about thousands of animals being slaughtered in Delhi and other towns in extremely cruel manner. You can’t draw a parallel between our slaughter with rest of the country,” he said. 

“Devotees also take away the meat,” he said. Deputy Commissioner Kullu B M Nanta said the animal sacrifice “is a religious tradition being observed for years by the kardars and devotees. Administration has no role in it.”

Similar views were also expressed by SP Kullu Abhishek Dular,who said, “Certain exemptions are allowed on occasions.” 

The Kullu Dussehra, which starts on the day when Raghunath’s chariot reaches Dhalpur maidan, doesn’t involve burning of effigies of Ravan, Kumbkarana and Meghnath. “We, in our tradition, believe that Ravan was a highly respectable personality and acquired stature sheerly through his sadhana and worship. So, we don’t burn him and there is only a symbolic Lanka dehan at the end of the Dussehra.” 

Meanwhile, a RTI activist Lawan Thakur submitted a petition to Chief Minister Prem Kumar asking him to put an end to the tradition of carrying ‘Raja of Kullu’ in a palanquin during the festival. “It’s against the Fundamental Rights and reflection of slavery,” he said in his petition. But Singh dismissed it. “It’s a question of tradition and faith, which only people of Kullu can understand,” he said.