'Kali Puja' Festivities Underway in Tripura Without Animal Sacrifice

Agartala, October 27, 2019:

The centuries-old Kali Puja and Diwali festival and fair at Udaipur in Tripura has begun from Sunday morning. But significantly, there will be no animal sacrifice during this year's Diwali at the historic Sundari temple after a recent High Court ruling.

The more than five-hundred years old animal sacrifice ritual will be not performed this time in the temple due to the Tripura High Court's order ruling against the age-old practice.

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On Saturday the priests of Tripura's Sundari temple talked with the CM about the animal sacrifice rituals and they demanded to bring it back.

One priest of this temple told that without sacrifice the puja will not complete. So this year they will sacrifice egg and ginger instead of animal during the puja.

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In the wee hours of Sunday at 4.30 am, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb along with his wife, took part in the ‘Mangalarati’ at the bank of ‘Kalyan Sagar’ of Udaipur. The festival of Deepavali was kickstarted at Udaipur With the rituals of ‘Mangalarati’. The festival and fair will continue till October 29.

Agriculture ministers Pranjit Singh Roy, MLA Biplab Ghosh, MP Pratima Bhoumik were also attending in the inauguration program on Sunday. In the early hours of the morning, thousands of people gathered at the temple premises to observed the puja rituals.

On Sunday morning after the auspicious ‘Mangalarati’ rituals, the puja of Devi Kali has started in the Sundari temple.

Every year on the occasion of Diwali, a famous Mela is organised in Tripureswari temple, which is usually visited by more than 3 lakhs pilgrims.

This year, the Udaipur festival committee convenor MLA Biplab Ghosh is expecting that more than 4 lakh piligrims will attend during three day festival of Diwali at Udaipur.

On Sunday morning after the ‘Mangalarati’ rituals, CM Biplab Deb expressed his feelings through Twitter. He wrote, “Feeling immensely blessed after the Arti Darshan at Tripurasundari Temple on the auspicious occasion of Diwali and Kali Puja.”

Udaipura Tripura Sundari temple is popularly known as Matabari. The temple is considered to be one of the 51 Shakti Peethas; legend says that the right leg of goddess Sati fell here. Maharaja of Tripura Dhanya Manikya in 1501 AD constructed the temple.

And the festival during Diwali at Udaipur Tripura Sundari temple is 113 years old. On Sunday evening CM Biplab Kumar Deb will innuagurate the festival of Diwali at Udaipur.

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