The Uttarakhand High Court has granted conditional permission for goat sacrifice during the ongoing Nanda Devi festival, directing that the ritual be carried out at a slaughterhouse away from the Naina Devi temple premises.
A division bench of Chief Justice Guhanathan Narendar and Justice Subhash Upadhyay passed the order on Friday while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking approval to continue the long-held tradition of animal sacrifice associated with the festival.
The bench instructed the municipal council to earmark land for establishing a slaughterhouse and asked the pollution control board to issue a no objection certificate (NOC). The court also directed that a food inspector supervise the sacrifice process to ensure compliance with regulations.
The decision came in light of the 2015 ban on animal sacrifice inside the Naina Devi temple located near the northern end of Naini Lake. Since then, many devotees had shifted to offering coconuts as symbolic sacrifices, with a designated area set aside for the ritual within the temple premises.
The petition was filed by local resident Pawan Jatav and others, who contended that the prohibition had adversely affected the faith of devotees, as animal sacrifice formed an integral part of the festival’s traditions.
However, animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi of People for Animals (PFA) opposed the plea, arguing that animal sacrifice in public places harms the environment and should not be permitted.
Balancing devotional sentiments with environmental concerns, the bench permitted the practice only within the newly designated slaughterhouse, ensuring it would be away from the temple premises.
The order is expected to provide a middle ground—allowing devotees to observe traditions while maintaining restrictions on animal entry into the temple, which remains prohibited.
