Animals were slaughtered en masse in the early hours today during the Chhatar Yatra festival in Odisha’s Kalahandi district, despite widespread opposition to the age-old custom.
The famous Chhatar Yatra of the presiding deity, Maa Manikeswari, was taken out on the streets of Bhawanipatna, the district headquarters township, traversing a three-kilometre route. Devotees sacrificed numerous animals, mainly goats, along both sides of the road as a mark of fulfilling their wishes.
The ritual lasted for several hours, with the cries of the animals filling the air, amidst the frenzied beating of drums.
The local administration refrained from intervening to end the practice, allowing hundreds of garlanded animals to be slaughtered. This lack of intervention meant that tradition prevailed over legal objections.
Residents defended the practice, stating that the goddess Manikeswari shields the region from natural fury. They view the animal offering as a gesture of reverence to ensure the safety of lives, crops, and livestock.
According to locals, the mass sacrifice is performed annually as an age-old ritual followed by worshippers of the Shakti cult.
Elaborate security arrangements ensured the annual event concluded peacefully, with no untoward incident reported. The bloody ritual, however, culminated in devotees releasing doves into the air as a traditional mark of peace.
