HC allows goats inside Naina Devi temple, ban on sacrifice stays

Nainital, Sep 9 (IANS) The Uttarakhand High Court has finally given in to a request to allow sacrificial goats inside the Naina Devi temple but has continued the ban on goat slaughter inside, an official said on Friday.

The 113th Naina Devi Mela is currently underway at the famous temple in the hill city. A public interest litigation (PIL) had been filed against an earlier decision of the high court banning animal ‘bali’ (sacrifice) inside the temple premises.

A bench of Justice V.K. Bisht and Justice U.C. Dhyani on Thursday disposed off the PIL by ordering that the sacrificial goat be allowed for ‘puja’ inside the temple premises but maintained that their would be no slaughter.

Temple authorities and the petitioner gave an undertaking that the high court directive will be observed in letter and spirit.

"We will ensure that the directives are implemented and hence CCTVs will monitor entry of devotees, there will only be one gate for entry and the entry of the sacrificial animal will be on basis of a token system," an official told IANS.