Shimla, Sep 26 (IANS): The Himachal Pradesh High Court Friday rejected the plea to review its landmark order imposing a ban on animal sacrifices for religious purposes in the state.

A division bench of Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Sureshwar Thakur, after hearing all stakeholders, reserved its order Wednesday.

The petitioner, the Kardar Sangh, which comprises representatives of the deities, contended that animal sacrifice was a matter of faith and belief.

The high court had Sep 1 banned the sacrifice of animals in temples, saying they cannot be permitted to be killed in a barbaric manner to appease the gods.

"No person throughout the state shall sacrifice any animal in any place of public religious worship, including all land and buildings near such places of religious worship which are ordinarily connected to religious purposes," ruled Justice Sharma and Justice Thakur, banning animal sacrifice in all ceremonies, congregations and religious processions.

Aggrieved over the high court ban, over 250 deities Friday assembled near Kullu town and endorsed that the animal sacrifice was part of their age-old custom.

They unanimously decided that they should be allowed to continue with this practice.

"The doors to get justice are still open," Maheshwar Singh, the local legislator and chief representative of Lord Raghunath, the Kullu Valley's chief deity, told IANS.

He said 260 deities attended the 'Jagati Puch' - a grand convention of the Kullu Valley's gods - in Naggar, some 25 km from Kullu, and discussed the high court ban.

The decision on the next course of action would be decided later, he added.

As per tradition, the 'Jagati Puch' is held only in extraordinary situations.

It was called last in February 2006 to decide the fate of a Himalayan Ski Village project promoted by Alfred Ford of Ford Motor Co. At that time the assembled deities opposed the project.

At the 'Jagati Puch', the invitation is sent to oracles who speak for the gods -- and they publicize what they claim to be divine verdicts.

Challenging the verdict, Maheshwar Singh, the scion of the erstwhile Kullu estate, said the court ruling had hurt Hindu religious sentiments. "When people from other communities have the right to sacrifice animals, imposing ban on old-age religious traditions of Hindus is unconstitutional," he said.