Bhawanipatna: Thousands of goats, sheep and hens were sacrificed on the occasion of Chhatar Yatra of Devi Manikeshwari, the presiding deity of the tribal-dominated Kalahandi district, Sunday.
The festival began at day break when a representative idol of the deity known as ‘Chhatar’ (a wooden pole decked up with red silken clothes, hibiscus flowers and Bel leaves with a pigeon sitting atop it) was brought from Jenakhala in a procession to the main temple with frenzied moves, beating of drums and gongs and ululation of women.
Lakhs of devotees who had taken a sacred vow to sacrifice the animals on fulfillment of their wishes slaughtered the animals on both sides of National Highway-26 passing through the town despite the district administration’s fervent bid to put an end to the gory practice.
The sacrificial animals were so large in numbers that the roads adjoining the highway were also used for the purpose. Devotees from the state as well as from neighbouring states of Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand participated in the festival.
Collector Brunda D, ADM Chandramani Gadnaik, sub-collector Sukant Tripathy, SP Brijesh Ray and 10 platoons of police force deployed at the site watched helplessly as thousands of animals were mercilessly sacrificed on the road.
The Chhatar is celebrated annually on the Navami day of Durga Puja as the mass festival of Kalahandi and its royal family.
The administration and several outfits had appealed to the people to stop animal sacrifice through awareness programmes over last several months.
The festival was peaceful and no untoward incident occurred during it. The festival had its beginning on the day of Maha Ashtami Saturday when special rituals were performed at the shrine by sacrificing goats and other animals before the deity.
Similar animal sacrifices were also made at the shrine of Budharaja (Mahakala Bhairav) adjoining the temple.
Later, the priests and servitors took the Chhatar to Jenakhala situated on the west of the town with the playing of traditional music.
Some special and secret rituals were performed before the Chhatar at Jenakhala which was again brought back to temple in a procession at 2 pm when Kalahandi royal Udit Pratap Deo, prince Anant Pratap Deo and other royal family members welcomed it by performing ‘Arati’. PNN
