Agartala, October 20: Traditional animal sacrifice formed part of the Maha Nabami observances at Agartala’s 149-year-old Durgabari temple on Tuesday, with a buffalo and several goats offered during the annual Durga Puja rituals.
The ceremony was conducted amid the chanting of religious mantras, while the place of sacrifice remained screened from public view in compliance with restrictions imposed by the Supreme Court, temple priest Jayanta Bhattacharjee said.
Bhattacharjee maintained that animal sacrifice had been an integral part of the temple’s century-old worship traditions. He said devotees believed the worship of Goddess Durga would remain incomplete without the customary offering.
The ritual has a legal history in Tripura. In 2019, a division bench of the Tripura High Court, then headed by Chief Justice Sanjoy Karol, prohibited animal and bird sacrifices at religious institutions across the state, including the revered Mata Tripura Sundari temple. The Supreme Court subsequently stayed the High Court’s order while imposing certain conditions on animal sacrifice.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the traditional farewell to the goddess on Vijaya Dashami on Wednesday. According to Bhattacharjee, police will present a guard of honour to Goddess Durga early in the morning. The sacred pitcher will then be taken to Ujjayanta Palace, where members of the erstwhile royal family will participate in the ceremonial farewell.
Durgabari temple in-charge Pradip Debnath said the temple did not follow any fixed distinction between vegetarian and non-vegetarian offerings. The goddess is offered items donated or presented by devotees, including meat and fish, he explained.
The annual Durga Puja at the historic temple is organised by the West Tripura district administration on behalf of the erstwhile Manikya royal dynasty, preserving a longstanding religious tradition associated with Tripura’s royal heritage.