Agartala, March 15: A redoubtable animal lover has taken over where former district magistrate of South Tripura, Manish Kumar, had failed: stopping animal sacrifice as part of the ritual worship of goddess Tripureshwari in the temple at Udaipur.
Former Union minister and BJP MP Maneka Gandhi has addressed a letter to Swapan Saha, district magistrate of South Tripura, requesting him to initiate action to stop daily sacrifice of animals in Tripureshwari temple, recognised as one of the 51 holiest Hindu shrines across the subcontinent dedicated to the Mother Goddess.
The district magistrate is planning to convene a meeting of the advisory committee of the temple management for a threadbare discussion.
“It is a sensitive issue related to the religious sentiments of the people. In 2001, too, there was an abortive bid to stop animal sacrifice in the temple but it failed in the face of a public outcry. So we are planning to take the opinion of the committee, which comprises priests, religious heads and prominent citizens,” said Saha, adding that the meeting would be convened soon.
Tripura’s king Dhanya Manikya had set up the temple in 1501 with goddess Kali as the presiding deity.
Maneka’s letter has, however provoked a serious reaction, with people having a religious bent of mind strongly protesting her request.
The scion of Tripura’s royal family, Pradyot Kishore Debbarman, has advised Maneka to take care of the thousands of animals that are being slaughtered in Delhi for export of meat and public consumption.
“Personally I do not believe in animal sacrifice; it is senseless but I also do not wish to impose anything on the people, especially on such sensitive issues,” Debbarman said.
Swapan Bhattacharya, an intellectual and longstanding resident of Udaipur, said it would be impossible to do away with the system because of political interference.
“It is better to try to raise the level of consciousness of the people through public discourse; government high-handedness will only create a new problem and Maneka’s love for animals will be construed as political interference in matters of faith,” Bhattcharya said.
In the late 17th century, the controversy over animal and once human-sacrifice in Tripura had triggered a furore and political upheaval.
King Gobinda Manikya had then banned animal sacrifice in the Bhubaneshwari temple, adjacent to the erstwhile royal palace in Udaipur, 5km east of Tripureshwari temple, antagonising his orthodox and bigoted head priest Raghuapati.
The priest had Gobinda Manikya forced out of throne and power by his stepbrother Nakshatra Roy and after five years in forced exile Gobinda Manikya could recapture power only after his step-brother died and Raghupti had committed suicide.
This episode in princely Tripura’s history had inspired Rabindranath Tagore to pen his famous novel Rajarshi and play Bisarjan.
The controversy lives on.
