Mumbai: No Meat Sale as Deonar Slaughterhouse Closes for Jain 'Paryushan Parv' on September 4-7

Mumbai’s largest slaughterhouse, the Deonar abattoir, will be shut down for two days in September following an order from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The closure will take place on September 4 and 7, 2024, as directed by Bhushan Gagrani, Mumbai's civic commissioner-cum-administrator. This decision is made in observance of the Jain community’s ‘Paryushan Parv’.

"After evaluating various factors, I have decided that the BMC will implement a one-day closure for slaughtering during Paryushan Parva, which this year is on September 4. Additionally, Ganesh Chaturthi, a day on which the Deonar Abattoir is traditionally closed as per a 2015 decision, coincides with Paryushan Parv this year. Therefore, the abattoir will also be closed on September 7," the order stated.

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Gagrani has directed the department to review and ensure that the abattoir's total closure days do not exceed 15 annually. This follows a recent Bombay High Court order for Maharashtra civic bodies to urgently address a Jain trust’s request for a temporary ban on animal slaughter and meat sales during 'Paryushan Parv'.

Reason for the Ban on Animal Slaughter
The Jain public charitable trust requested a ban on animal slaughter and meat sales from August 31 to September 7, citing the principle of 'ahimsa' (non-violence) central to Jain beliefs. They argued that allowing animal slaughter during Paryushan Parv would undermine the principles of Jainism. A division bench led by Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar found no reason to prevent civic bodies from addressing the trust's representation.