SOCIETY

Orissa villagers say no to animal sacrifice at Kali temple

     Kuchipali village (Orissa): Amidst reports of atrocities being committed on animals in the name of 'religious sacrifice', residents of Kuchipalli village in Orissa's Bargarh District have decided to give a miss to this ancient practice. Every year, hundreds of innocent animals are killed during Diwali or Kali Puja. But from this year onward, the villagers of Kuchipalli have decided to do away with animal sacrifice and replace it with offerings of Jugar, an item made of made of jaggery, coconut and 12 different kinds of parched boiled rice put together in a frame of 12 to 15 feet high are made as offerings to the Goddess. "We all believe that Goddess Kali does not like Bali (or, animal sacrifice). We want to put a ban on the ritual. So we offer Jugar, which is made up of 12 different kinds of part boiled rice mixed with molasses and offer it to the divine mother," said Sabarlal Sahoo, a resident of Kuchipalli village. Also called the Jugar Yatra, the villagers make the Jugars and carry them in a huge procession to the temple complex. The villagers feel it is a pride of their village which they have been doing for the past two decades. "People make wishes and when their wishes are fulfilled they make Jugar and offer it to the divine mother or the Goddess. This has been going on for 22 years," said Ramakant Sahoo, a devotee. The ritual is participated by Hindus and Muslims, who take part in the day long procession which culminates at the Kali temple. Later, everyone takes part in making offerings of Jugar to Goddess Kali. "I had prayed for a wish here before Goddess Kali and it was fulfilled. Since that time, I have been giving Jugar to Maa Kali. I have been doing this for a number of years and I will keep doing this. I believe whoever does this with full faith, his wishes get fulfilled," said Mohammud Rafiq, a devotee.
-Oct 27, 2006

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