World’s ‘Largest Animal Sacrifice’ in Nepal Begins
NEPAL – The mass animal slaughter in Nepal starts despite efforts to end the practice.
Some religions slay animal as part of their ritual and offered them to their God. It is common throughout the Ancient Near East and Europe. Some cultures and religions continue animal sacrifice today.
Lots of organizations were against it and call for the banning of the ritual “killing.” Based on a report from Ladbible, Nepal has the World’s biggest animal sacrifice festival and it is held every 5 years. They called it the Gadhimai festival.
The festival in Nepal begins today at the Gadhimai Temple of Bariyarpur, in Bara District. They will be slaughtering 3,500 buffalo and animals including pigeons, rats, goats, chickens, and pigs. The devotees honor their Hindu Goddess Gadhimai.
According to the report, this year’s animal sacrifice event has lower death toll compared in 2014 and 2009. In 2009, 500,000 buffalo, pigeons, goats and other animals were slain. People protested and appealed to stop the event.
Sadly, thousands of animals are still destined to die for this years’ festival. The event starts with the ritual “killing” of a goat, chicken, rat, pigeon, and pig. The organizing committee of the festival, Birendra Prasa Yadav, said they tried not to support the animal sacrifice but the devotees arrive with their offerings.
“The sacrifices have begun today… We had tried not to support it but people have faith in the tradition and have come here with their offerings,” said Yadav.
Based on the report, the head priest of Gadhimai Temple, Mangal Chowdhury, ‘refused’ to stop the rituals said the Humane Society International. The managing director of the HSI, Alokparna Sengupta, expressed his reaction to the animal slaughter.
“Being here at the Gadhimai sacrifice is one of the most depressing and challenging experiences of my life…”
“The suffering of these animals is so upsetting, they have endured exhausting journeys to get here and are paraded in front of a baying crowd as all around them they witness other animals being decapitated one by one,” he added.
Devotees believe that their deity will bring prosperity and end evil.
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