An animal rights activist from Ludhiana, Dr Sandeep Jain, has issued an appeal to not sacrifice owls on Diwali, urging people not to believe in superstitions like black magic.

“Owls are extremely beneficial to our environment by controlling pests, such as small rodents and worms. Their behavior is eco-friendly, similar to other natural scavenging animals. But during Deepawali, many ignorant and superstitious people sacrifice owls in practices such as black magic, talisman, and old rituals,” said Jain, a co-opted member of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI).

Jain explained that while owls are considered the vaahan (carriers) of Goddess Lakshmi, some people are misguided by sorcerers (tantriks) into sacrificing the bird.

“Having blind faith in tantriks and other priests who encourag

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