Owl Sacrifice for Diwali! Know The Story Behind The Tradition That Spikes Illegal Trade of Nocturnal Birds During Deepavali

It is the peak of the festive season in the country. With one of the biggest celebrations of the year, Diwali 2018 has begun starting with Dhanteras. The festival of lights, sees house decorations, beautiful light display in every house and bursting of crackers. But other than the conventional traditions that have been practised over the years, there is another tradition of sacrificing owls. Thousands of owls are illegally traded throughout the year but during the festival of Diwali, the number rises as a lot of tantric practices and ceremonies have owl sacrifice. It is believed that sacrificing an owl will bring in wealth and prosperity during Deepavali. Diwali 2018 Wishes in Advance: Shubh Diwali Photos, Stickers, WhatsApp Messages, GIF Images, Facebook Status and SMS to Send Deepavali Greetings Online Free. 

Why Are Owls Sacrificed?

Parts of owl are said to be a cure for various illnesses and also fighting off the evil by the occult practitioners. There is a growing belief that killing an owl within the premises of home or office will bring in wealth. An owl is said to be the vehicle of Goddess Lakshmi, so sacrificing an owl is considered a restriction for the Goddess to move out. She cannot go without her vehicle and will reside in the area surrounding the sacrifice. So the belief prevails.

Most of the owl trade happens in Agra where these bords are also home-delivered for sacrifice! Mathura, Fatehpur Sikri are some of the smaller towns which sees these celebrations. The new moon on the night of Diwali is considered the most auspicious time to do an owl sacrifice. This Diwali 2018 Protect the Environment & Tips to Have An Eco-Friendly Festival. 

For long some pop culture has also associated owls with being creepy and evil. These nocturnal birds hardly make any sound so there is a certain mystery to them. But these associations with the dark has resulted in more owls being killed instead. Owl parts are used commonly in black magic practices. And since the festival of Diwali has several auspicious days, the number of sacrifices go on a rise. TRAFFIC, a wildlife monitoring network is making efforts to curb the sacrificing. They have asked other agencies to join hands to make efforts to prevent the illegal trade of these birds.

According to a statement by WWF-India, "Owls, especially with ‘ears’ (or tufts) are thought to possess greatest magical powers, and Diwali is claimed to be the most auspicious time for making owl sacrifices." The Indian Eagle Owl and the Barn owl are most illegally traded species. These birds are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act. Even the international trade of these birds is restricted.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 05, 2018 05:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).