Nuapada: In spite of a ban on animal sacrifice, Sunabeda in Nuapada district witnessed blood spill during the Yatra of Goddess Sunadei.
The soil of Sunabeda sanctuary was left blood-soaked after scores of animals and birds were sacrificed during the puja.
More than 20,000 devotees from the neighbouring districts and Chhattisgarh thronged the temple to offer prayers to the Goddess.
As many as 84 villages and hamlets under Sunabeda forest range participated in the holy Yatra, reports said.
According to the reports, tribal people of the area lit lamps at the temple for the past 15 days and on the eve of “Kumar Purnima’ Wednesday, the main puja was performed by the temple priest following which a goat was sacrificed as per tradition.
Later at 10 am, the idol of the Goddess was taken out of the temple for venturing across Sunabeda. The rally then reached Lingabhatagudi which is situated a kilometre away from the temple.
During the rally, different types of instruments were played amid fireworks, it was learnt.
The devotees who came to pay obeisance to the deity sacrificed animals in a bid to appease the Goddess at Lingabhatagudi amid recitation of mantras.
Later in the day, a feast was thrown for the devotees. Thousands of devotees attended the feast and consumed the ‘Prasad’.
At night, a cultural programme was organised for the devotees.
In view of the Yatra, police personnel have been deployed to avoid any untoward incident.
PNN