Tharu community bans animal slaughter during rituals in Pipladi

KANCHANPUR: The Tharu community of Pipladi of Shuklaphanta Municipality-3 in Kanchanpur has decided to ban animal slaughter during religious ceremonies.

People belonging to Tharu community of Pipladi who gathered here to discuss about the Maghi festival rituals agreed to discontinue the tradition of animal slaughter during puja (worship) citing that such inhumane practice had helped promote cruelty and violence in the society.

The gathering decided to stop the tradition of sacrificing hens, pigs, sheep, goats and ducks on the occasions of the Hareri, Nikasi, Deshbandhya, Asari and Hori worships, the rituals of Tharus, said Narendra Prasad Chaudhary, a local.

Animal sacrifice is being practiced during the worships of 18 deities of the Tharu community, but onwards this tradition will be stopped and coconut and fruits will be used instead.

The Tharu people conduct puja in groups to pay homage to their deities and the decision to ban animal slaughter will be followed by all the members in the community, he added.

"No Hindu religious text and scripture has recommended animal sacrifice to make deities happy and the practice taking place in the name of making divine power happy must be stopped,'' he asserted.

Likewise, the meeting has prohibited the haphazard use of plastic bags in the village, citing its negative impact on the environment and on agricultural production.