Agartala, October 20, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A buffalo and several goats were sacrificed at the historic Durgabari temple in Agartala on Tuesday as part of the Maha Navami rituals of Durga Puja, continuing a century-old religious tradition associated with Tripura’s former royal family.
The rituals were conducted under the supervision of the West Tripura district administration, which took precautions to ensure compliance with court directions.
District administration officials said the sacrifice site was covered to prevent public viewing, particularly by children, while hygiene and other prescribed protocols were maintained.
West Tripura District Magistrate Vishal Kumar said the tradition had been followed for at least a century and remained deeply rooted in devotees’ religious faith.
“All directions issued by the court have been followed. The premises have been covered, proper hygiene has been maintained, and healthy animals are brought for sacrifice in accordance with the prescribed protocols,” Kumar said.
Jayanta Bhattacharjee, the temple’s head priest, said animal sacrifice had been an integral part of Maha Navami worship for generations.
“We have a century-old tradition of sacrificing animals to Goddess Durga on the day of Maha Navami as part of the worship. The ritual was conducted at a site concealed from public view. In fact, worshipping of Goddess Durga will remain incomplete without animal sacrifice,” he said.
The practice came under judicial scrutiny in 2019, when a division bench of the Tripura High Court banned animal and bird sacrifices at religious institutions, including the revered Tripura Sundari temple in Gomati district. The Supreme Court subsequently stayed the High Court’s order following a petition while imposing certain restrictions on the practice.
The sacrifice ritual at Durgabari temple had also been suspended earlier for administrative reasons before resuming two years ago, officials said.
Associated with Tripura’s erstwhile Manikya dynasty, the temple preserves several royal-era religious customs. The West Tripura district administration organises the Durga Puja on behalf of the royal family.
Temple officials said offerings to the deity depended on devotees’ donations and religious practices, with no specific vegetarian or non-vegetarian menu prescribed.
“We offer Goddess Durga whatever devotees donate or sacrifice at the temple. There is no bar on meat and fish here,” Bhattacharjee said.
The temple’s rituals also reflect cultural and religious traditions shared by Bengali and tribal communities in Tripura.
Bhattacharjee said that on Wednesday, Vijaya Dashami, police would present a guard of honour to Goddess Durga early in the morning. The holy pitcher would subsequently be escorted to Ujjayanta Palace, where members of the erstwhile royal family would bid farewell to the deity.
Held near the former royal residence, the approximately 150-year-old Durga Puja at Durgabari temple attracts thousands of devotees, including visitors from across India and neighbouring Bangladesh.
Historian and writer Panna Lal Roy said successive Left and non-Left governments had continued supporting worship at temples associated with the former royal family. He added that the 1949 merger agreement signed by Maharani Kanchan Prabha Devi, the then regent, and Indian authorities provided for the continuation of certain royal religious traditions.
FOLLOW NOW
