BALANGIR: Sulia Jatra, a major tribal festival of western Odisha, was celebrated in Khairguda and Kumuria villages here on Tuesday amid the mass sacrifice of animals. On the day, tribals marched in a procession to Bada Khala in Khairguda and Sana Khala in Kumuria to perform the ritualistic sacrifice of hens and goats.
More than 20,000 devotees from Balangir, Nuapada, Sonepur, Kalahandi, Boudh, Phulbani and other places joined the festival. Many of them offered sacrifices to the deity.
Around four platoons of the police force were deployed to maintain law and order in the area. SDPO Tofan Bag supervised the security arrangements. This year, the 500-year-old tradition was also observed at Siletmunda and Kumunde in Sonepur besides Mirdhapali and Hirlimal in Balangir.
The Jatra, celebrated among eight sub-castes of the Kondh tribe, takes place on the second Tuesday of the month of ‘Pausa’. The locals believe that offering the blood of animals to their presiding deity Sulia would bring good harvest and prosperity to the community.
Among others Balangir MLA Narasingha Mishra, Kantamal legislator Mahidhar Rana, former MLA of Saintala Surendra Singh Bhoi, Deogaon block chairperson Dayanidhi Khamari and Balangir sub-collector K Nagabhusan were present.
Earlier a tussle had broken out between the district administration and Zilla Adivasi Sangh following the Orissa High Court order to abolish the practice of animal sacrifice during the festival. However, the Supreme Court in its verdict allowed the practice in order to respect tribal culture and tradition.