The famous Kalinka Fair, which is celebrated at Kalinka temple, was this time held without any animal sacrifice to propitiate the Goddess, on Tuesday.
Situated at the border of Pauri and Almora, the mela is known for animal sacrifice, and takes place every third year. On this festival, hundreds of innocent animals used to be slaughtered in the name of Goddess Kalinka, but due to the strict security measures of the district administration and the awareness of the public of adjoining areas of both the districts, no animal (male buffalo or goat) were slaughtered here and which is a great achievement of Pauri district administration and the NGOs working against animal sacrifice in the name of religion.
The administration had taken all precautionary measures to check the animal sacrifice at the Kalinka Fair and the police force was deployed in large numbers on all the roads leading to the Kalinka temple. Barriers were raised to control crowd as well. Pauri and Almora district administrations have started the drive of motivation along with the NGOs working against animal sacrifice, on the name of religion. The devotees of the adjoining area of Kalinka temple took out procession with the Nishan (Flag) in the temple and offered their prayer. The devotees from different parts of Pauri and Almora district and country visit this temple to beseech the God to grant their wish and again visit the shrine after fulfillment of their wish to thank the Goddess on the occasion of Kalinka Mela.
The animal sacrifice was stopped due to efforts of the Pauri district administration Chandra Sekhar Bhatt who held a meeting in the premises of Primary Matyali in Salt Tehsil of Almora district, in which the villagers of adjoining area of the temple of both district, School members of temple committee attended ,asked them to motivate others for the noble cause. No animal sacrifice will be allowed this year in the Kalinka mela by an order of the High court and whosoever dare to challenge the order will be dealt seriously.
The Kalinka temple is situated between Beerokhal block of Pauri district and Salt Tehsil of District Almora. The temple Kalinka belongs to 13 villages, out of which 8 villages falls in Pauri while reaming five comes in Almora district. Previously this temple was known as Dushant ki Kalinka and the priest of these are Badyari Rawat. In Kalinka mela, devotees in large numbers reached here with their flag (nishan) to beats of drums and either beseeched the deity to fulfill their wishes or thanked him for fulfilling their desire.
It is pertinent to mention that out of the four famous religious mela of Pauri district known for the animal sacrifice in the name of religion, in Kalinka Mela this year no animal was sacrifice in the name of religion and this has included Kanda Mela. Mundneshwar Mela and Bungkhal mela, the animal slaughtering has stopped.