Civic Body Mayor in India Writes to Commissioner Seeking Closure of Meat Shops During Navaratri

The festival of Navaratri is celebrated twice a year in India, first during March-April and then between September and October. The festival occurs at the juncture when the seasons are changing and at these times, nature undergoes a fundamental metamorphosis. People celebrate Navaratri by worshipping the Goddess Durga who embodies nature.

The mayor of South Delhi's Municipal Corporation, Mukesh Suryan, wrote on Monday to the commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), asking for the “closure of meat shops during the nine-day period of the Navaratri festival extending from 2 April to 11 April”.

In his letter, Suryan said that during the auspicious period of Navaratri, devotees of the Goddess Durga observe a fast for nine days, adhering to a strict vegetarian diet and abstaining from non-vegetarian foods, alcohol and even some spices.

In the letter, Suryan said: “People visit temples to worship and pay their respects to the Goddess Durga and observe a fast. They forego even the use of onion and garlic, and the sight of meat being sold in the open or near temples could make them uncomfortable. Their religious sentiments are also affected when they come across meat shops or when they have to tolerate the foul smell of meat on their way to offer daily prayers to the goddess.”

“Such incidents can be prevented if meat shops are closed during the period of Naavratri in the area under the South Delhi Municipal Corporation's jurisdiction. The closing of meat shops is also necessary to maintain the cleanliness in and around the temples,” it added.

Suryan also raised the issue of hygiene, writing in the letter that “some meat shops dump waste in the gutter or beside the road, which stray dogs feed on. It is not only unhygienic but an appalling sight for passers-by”.

The mayor of East Delhi Municipal Corporation, Shyam Sundar Agarwal, made a similar request and said "closing meat shops will make us happy during this festival".

Navaratri is one of the most widely celebrated festivals among Hindus, especially in the northern part of India. According to Indian mythology, it symbolises the victory of good over evil and the awakening of the divine female.