The Uttarakhand High Court has allowed setting up a slaughterhouse away from the Naina Devi temple for goat sacrifices during the Nanda Devi festival, ensuring traditions are observed while maintaining environmental and religious sensitivities under judicial directions.
The Uttarakhand High Court approved the establishment of a slaughterhouse at a designated site away from the Naina Devi temple for goat sacrifices during the ongoing Nanda Devi festival.
A two-judge bench, consisting of Chief Justice Guhanathan Narendar and Justice Subhash Upadhyay, granted this permission while addressing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought the court’s approval for this purpose, citing the tradition of animal sacrifice during the festival.
The court instructed the municipal council to identify an appropriate location for the slaughterhouse and directed the pollution control board to issue a no objection certificate (NOC).
Since 2015, animal sacrifice at the Naina Devi temple, situated at the northern end of Naini Lake in Nainital, has been prohibited.
The PIL, filed by local resident Pawan Jatav and others, highlighted that the practice of animal sacrifice during the Nanda Devi festival has a long history, despite the ban on animal entry and sacrifices in 2015.
The petitioners argued that the ban was negatively impacting the faith of devotees, which warranted the need for a slaughterhouse to facilitate ritual sacrifices during the festival.
On the other hand, animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi from People for Animals (PFA) contended that animal sacrifices in public areas could be detrimental to the environment.
Taking into account the feelings of the devotees, the division bench permitted ritual sacrifices to take place in the slaughterhouse during the festival.
The court mandated the municipal council to designate a plot of land for this purpose and stated that a food inspector should oversee the sacrifice process.
Due to the ban on animal sacrifices at the temple during the festival, many individuals have opted to offer coconuts instead. A designated area for coconut offerings is available within the temple premises.