Animal sacrifice on Durga Puja

Animal sacrifice to Gods and Goddesses has been performed by the Greeks, Romans, Hindus and others for centuries. John Keats’ famous ode to the Grecian Urn picturises in verse an animal sacrifice :
‘To what green altar , O mysterious priest,
Lead’st thou that heifer lowing to the skies
And all her silken flanks with garlands drest?’
It teases us out of all logic how a God could be appeased by animal flesh, or how one could be blessed or go beyond sins by killing a poor helpless animal? And don’t we all know who thereafter feasts on the flesh? Not the goddess who was supposedly propitiated! How psychologically convenient is that! To argue that the very divine source of all life can be appeased by an offering of lifeless matter is as absurd as saying that all light emerges from darkness!
In Hinduism, Durga and Kali are the terrible powers of destruction. They are two forms of Parvati. Firmly rooted in the belief that he is the physical body, a human being is tortured by negative thoughts, self manufactured. There are passions and jealousies, selfish thoughts of snatching and hoarding, overpowering and killing. Such dark desires are the ferocious wild animals within that one is powerless to destroy. So we have several prayers to mother Durga and Kali, seeking their help to destroy these beasts within. Durga and Kali are always depicted flourishing weapons dripping with the blood of such animals as Mahishasura ( depiction of selfish cruelty as a wild Buffalo). Kali wears around her neck the Garland of the skulls of these animalistic passions. In time ,gradually , this prayer of seeking the help of the Mother terrible to annihilate the demons within took on an outer dramatisation of sacrificing an actual animal at her altar! Should not the Hindus revert to their original prayers and stop this animal act of mindless cruelty?
Prarthna Saran, President Chinmaya Mission Delhi. Email: prarthnasaran@gmail.com