Jaina rock cut sculptures, Kazhugumalai

It is the beginning of Paryushan parv when members of Jain community abstain from a food, and ask for forgiveness. There is a raging battle about ban on slaughter and sale of meat in Mumbai. I am not getting in to the politics of it. But, during a recent trip to Kazhugumalai and Azhagar Kovil in South Tamil Nadu, the practice of animal slaughter in public spaces, and that to spaces that are associated with communities that don’t kill or eat meat was shocking.

This is like a resurgence of those who want to assert their right to kill. Once again, it may be politically incorrect to point this out, but I have to express what I felt - to see bloodstained floor just in front of rocks carved with Jaina saints was sad. I don't know who occupied the space first, the Jainas or the local deity and followers who believe in animal sacrifice. But, can't we even have that much respect for a faith that believes in extreme ahimsa?

A board put up at the site states no alcohol, no animal sacrifice, but the spot clearly showed, blood stains, and not only that what was killed could have been cooked there in the make shift choolas that is left behind.

Obviously, local municipality that is in charge of the Kazhugumalai Vettuvan Kovil and Samanar paarai is turning a blind eye to the sacrifices.

 If this is the case with a Jaina monument, what can one say about the sacrifices in open and in front of the Azhagar Kovil, Thirumalirunsolai. In close to 1000 years since Swami Ramanuja fufilled Andal's vow to give 100 urns of Akkaravadisil, I don't think Vaishnavas believed in killing or animal sacrifice.

Some today misquote Swami Ramanuja's Sri Bashyam to say he was a proponent of Pashubali, and he hailed from a family that performed Pashubali. Is that why all turn a blind eye when the whole pathway to the temple is taken up on festival day and Sunday by the devotees of 18-aam padi Karuppannaswami to sacrifice goats or whatever other animals?

I had been to Thirumalirunsolai as a kid, then over the years seen how the tranquil place has been transformed to noisy, over constructed place and now full of animal sacrifices. One had to just walk with eyes half closed to move to the Periyazhwar Thiruvarasu close to the temple. When we cry for the temple elephants, the jallikattu kaalais, can't we think of not sacrificing animals like this in open, in crowded pilgrimage places, and monuments?

While it is fashionable to fight for the hurt bulls of jallikattu, it is politically incorrect to ask for a ban on animal sacrifice or ban on cow slaughter. For latter becomes a liberal cause, labelled as “dietary choice”.

Honourable Supreme Court which happily decided on the height of Dahi Handis, and put an end to jallikattu, had commented last year, “it could not, for the sake of societal balance and harmony, intervene in centuries old customs of religious faith and tradition meant to appease the gods”while asking for a petition demanding animal sacrifices of all religions be withdrawn.

Yet another irony was the author of “Kuraloviyam” rushed to condemn enforcement of ban on animal sacrifice as per an old act. That is for an author and a state that takes pride in Thiruvalluvar and his Thirukkural.

Thirukkural has two chapters, each containing ten couplets, one on ‘Kollamai’, not to kill and other ‘Pulan Maruthal’, abstinence from meat. In one couplet Thiruvalluvar insists that even when one’s life is threatened it is not right to harm another life. The last couplet from ‘Pulan Maruthal’ chapter in a pious tone Thiruvalluvar says all beings would fold their hands and worship those who do not kill, and abstain from meat.

Thiruvalluvar is inconvenient here - should he be kept aside when dealing with such inconvenience. Perhaps, that is the practical path most follow. Still, is there a case for keeping animal slaughter at least private, and not a gruesome display in public just in front of the Murtis of Tirthankaras or outside temples?