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Animal Sacrifice Banned in Hindu Temples in Himachal Pradesh

Animal sacrifice – especially those of goats, hen, cock, buffalo etc – is still practiced in certain Hindu temples in Himachal Pradesh. Now the high court in the state through and order has banned the practice of animal sacrifice in temples in Himachal Pradesh. Animals are mainly sacrifice in temples dedicated to manifestation of Goddess Shakti and also of Bhairava.
Daijiworld reports 
"No person throughout the state shall sacrifice any animal in any place of public religious worship, including all land and buildings near such places of religious worship which are ordinarily connected to religious purposes," said a division bench of Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Sureshwar Thakur.
Disposing of petitions, the bench observed: "A startling revelation has been made in the manner in which thousands of animals are sacrificed every year in the name of religious worship."
"Sacrifice causes immense pain and suffering to the innocent animals. The innocent animals cannot be permitted to be sacrificed to appease the god/deity in a barbaric manner. 
Compassion is the basic tenet in all religions. The practice of animal sacrifice is a social evil and is required to be curbed." 
"It's a grey area whether animal sacrifice can be termed a religious practice or not. The faith, ritualistic worship and its continuation must change in the modern era. People are required to be sensitised on this issue by the state government," the court said.