Munneswaram Sri Maha Badrakali Amman Devasthanam Administrator Kalimuththu Sivapatha Sundaram said today that the animal sacrifice which was to be held tomorrow had been stopped on a request made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The President had made this request because the ritual coincided with the exposition of the Sacred Kapilawasttu Buddha relics.

However Mr. Sundaram said it would take place after the exposition of the sacred relics is because there were no other reasons to stop it.

“The President has only told us to refrain from carrying out the sacrifice while the exposition of the relic is going on. But we will have it after the exposition,” he said.

Mr. Sundaram said he had not received a written request from the President and would appreciate if such a written request was sent to him.

Meanwhile referring to Minister Mervyn Silva’s statement that he would go to Munneswaram tomorrow and stop the sacrifice, the Devasthanam Administrator said the no one will stop the minister from comming to the temple.

He said he did not want to react to remarks made by the minister.

Yohan Perera and Augastin Fernando

Source: Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)