Even as authorities are trying to conduct the Kodungalloor Bharani limiting the celebrations to rituals, an organisation has announced to bring back rooster sacrifice banned about half a century ago.
The Viswa Vamachara Dharmaraksha Sangam (VVDRS) has announced to restart the ritual by sacrificing thousands of roosters at the Kodungalloor Bhagavathy temple as part of the Bharani festival on March 27.
Posters
Posters have appeared across Kodungalloor town and nearby areas claiming that Vamachara Kulapathy Shivavathar Aadi Margi Mahachandala Baba Malavari will inaugurate the ritual at the temple during Aswathi Kavutheendal, the main ritual of the festival.
Seeking action against the move, V. Manoj, Kodungalloor area secretary of Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP), said it was illegal to restart a barbaric ritual abolished in the 1960s. The ritual, kozhikkallu moodal, used to be held 10 days ahead of Meena Bharani at the Bhagavathy temple.
In olden days, the temple had the ritual of sacrificing roosters.
But as animal/bird sacrifice was banned, the ritual was held by covering the ‘balikkallu’ with a red cloth.
“In the name of the Kodungalloor temple ritual, the organisation is trying to bring back animal/bird sacrifice banned by the Kerala Animals and Birds Sacrifices Prohibition Act, 1968. The organisation, less known before, has announced to slaughter thousands of roosters,” said Mr. Manoj.
The bid to restart the banned custom is a publicity stunt at the cost of communal harmony and public health. The organisation is planning to bring thousands of roosters to the temple when poultry birds are being culled in the State in the wake of avian flu, he added.
The KSSP has written to the Chief Minister, District Collector, District Police Chief, Kodungalloor tahsildar, Kodungalloor Devaswom manager, and the municipal secretary to take action against the organisation.
“This is happening when the government has called upon devotees and organisers to limit the celebrations to just rituals in view of the COVID-19 outbreak. The call for restarting such a barbaric act is with a malicious objective to create tension in society. Even a symbolic ritual, with a single rooter, will initiate a dangerous practice, which may be continued by thousands in the coming years,” the KSSP said in its resolution.
Police begin probe
District Police Chief K.P. Vijayakumaran said the police were inquiring about the organisation and its move and would take appropriate action against the conduct of the banned ritual.
The Kodungalloor Bharani, considered as world’s largest congregation of oracles, will be celebrated on March 27.
