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Dancing circles around the law
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A crowd of around 3,000 participated in the festival
Despite a recent Court order prohibiting the slaughter of animals for religious purposes, certain temple authorities are circumventing the law to continue the practice
The recent festival at the Sri Badrakali Amman Kovil in Uduppuwa was one such example. It is reported that goats were slaughtered and sacrificed to the Gods and the meat cooked and served to devotees who participated at the festival.
Around 3,000 persons were seen at the festive occasion.
The animals were slaughtered away from the kovil premises and the meat cooked and served to devotees within the premises.
Devotees gifted the animals to be sacrificed to the temple in fulfilment of vows to Kali Amma.
To circumvent the court ruling against slaughter, the animals were handed over to the temple authorities and slaughtered away from the temple premises. Later the meat was cooked and served to devotees at the Kovil premises.
The ritual animal sacrifice at the Munneshwaran Kali Amman Kovil which existed for 400 years was suspended on a Court order in 2011.
The Mundalam police informed the Uduppuwa, Kali Amman temple authorities of the prohibition order which was in force and warned them against following the practice during the festival.
However the temple authorities circumvented the law by performing the animal sacrifice ritual at a different location.
However, OIC Mundalama Police -Lalith Sandasiri- said police had not received any complaints of animals being sacrified within the Kovil premises or at any other location.
 Women too actively participated in the proceedings |
 Men, women, children all seemed to enjoy the animal sacrifice |