For the first time, no animal will be killed on Ashtami and Navami in the more than 500-year-old Durga Bari temple following High Court of Tripura’s ban on animal sacrifice.

Speaking to this correspondent on Saturday morning, the head priest’s son, Jayanta Chakraborty, said: “For the first time in 525 years, there will be no animal sacrifice during Durga Puja in the temple. The high court has banned the centuries-old tradition in temples across the state. We cannot violate court order.”

“The West Tripura district administration has ordered us not to sacrifice any animal during Durga Puja. We have heard that the government and the state’s royal family will soon file a writ petition in the Supreme Court.” he said.

Chakraborty added every year several goats and pigeons were sacrificed during Ashtami and Navami at Durga Bari.

During Navami a buffalo was also sacrificed on the temple premises. Several devotees used to throng the temple to see the event. They used to collect blood which they considered to be holy.

The subdivisional district magistrate of Sadar, Ashim Saha, confirmed that an order had been issued to the Durga Bari authorities not to sacrifice any animal during the Puja days.

Tripura’s royal scion, Pradyot Kishore Manikya Deb Burman said on Saturday that he would soon file a writ a petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the verdict of the high court.

On September 27, a division bench of the high court, comprising Chief Justice Sanjoy Karol and Justice Arindam Lodh, pronounced the order banning animal sacrifices after hearing a public interest litigation.