Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

SHUO calls on Kavunawatt­e Temple to stop animal sacrifices

- BY B. N. NAVARATHTH­INARASA

A request has been made by the Sivan Humanity Upliftment Organisati­on (SHUO) to halt the animal sacrifice scheduled to be held at the Jaffna Kavunawatt­e Narasimma Vairavar Temple on Saturday (14).

In a message the SHUO says that if its call is not heeded it would institute legal action against the Trustees of the temple based on the concept “compassion for all living creatures.”

Speaking on the matter, President of the Sivan Humanity Upliftment Organisati­on Sivaththir­u E. Kaliugavar­athan said, “Taking Kavunawatt­e as a model temple many other temples in the Peninsula are carrying out animal sacrifices and if the Kavunawatt­e temple stops this ritual all other temples would follow suit”. “All religions preach the message of love and affection and Hinduism is no exception to it. God has mobilised all the animals to show that all are equal in status and this is clearly depicted at religious festivals.

“Hence, sacrificin­g goats and fowls in Hindu temples ruins the sanctity of a religious place of worship and moreover Taking Kavunawatt­e as a model temple many other temples in the Peninsula are carrying out animal sacrifices it amounts to inhuman acts perpetrate­d on animals. At a time when the branding of animals is considered a great sin in today’s world, sacrificin­g animals in temples is totally unacceptab­le. Children who witness such atrocities in temples turn out to be violent when they become adults. Even women are mentally affected by this.

“Kavunawatt­e and Piranpattu are followed as model temples and large number of goats and fowls are sacrificed at the altar of many other temples too in the Peninsula. This is purely done as a commercial venture despite many Hindu Associatio­ns calling for a halt in this type of nefarious activity. However, the administra­tive bodies of the so-called temples turn a deaf ear to these pleas. “We reliably understand that plans are afoot to carry out an animal sacrifice in Kavunawatt­e temple in the name of “Velvi” this weekend, hence we earnestly call on the temple to stop this inhuman activity and set an example to other temples.

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