Today marks the beginning of the Nepalese Gadhimai festival, where hundreds of thousands of animals are expected to be sacrificed in the name of the Hindu goddess.
The festival, which takes place every five years at the border town of Bariyarpur, sees men armed with traditional swords behead animals including goats, chickens, pigs and buffalo. The last festival, which took place in 2009, saw over a quarter of a million animals killed and CNN are reporting that this year the number of sacrifices are expected to double to 500,000.
The festival is the world’s largest mass animal sacrifice, and the event has attracted widespread criticism. This year a campaign to ban the festival was launched with supporters including Brigitte Bardot and Joanna Lumley who petitioned Nepal's president to end the "cruel tradition".
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Gadhimai Mela" festival Stuntmen perform on the eve of the sacrificial ceremony for the "Gadhimai Mela" festival in Bariyapur November 27, 2014.
Gadhimai People walk along a field near the enclosure for buffalos awaiting sacrifice on the eve of the sacrificial ceremony for the "Gadhimai Mela" festival in Bariyapur November 27, 2014.
Gadhimai Mela" festival Herders work inside an enclosure for buffalos awaiting sacrifice on the eve of the sacrificial ceremony for the "Gadhimai Mela" festival in Bariyapur November 27, 2014.
Gadhimai Sacrificial blades are displayed for sale near the enclosure for buffalos awaiting sacrifice on the eve of the sacrificial ceremony for the "Gadhimai Mela" festival in Bariyapur November 27, 2014.
Gadimai Festival People who are specially assigned to slaughter animals arrive to take part in a mass sacrifice of the buffaloes near Gadimai Temple at Bara District, about 300 km (186 miles) south of Kathmandu, November 24, 2009.
Gadimai Temple Devotees arrive at Gadimai Temple with pigeons for offerings at Bara District, about 300 km (186 miles) south of Kathmandu November 24, 2009.
Gadimai Temple People who are specially assigned to slaughter animals take part in a mass sacrifice of the buffaloes near Gadimai Temple at Bara District, about 300 km (186 miles) south of Kathmandu, November 24, 2009.
Gadimai Temple Devotees warm themselves as they wait for a mass sacrifice of buffaloes near Gadimai Temple at Bara District, November 24, 2009.
Gadimai Temple A man who is specially assigned to slaughter animals takes part in a mass sacrifice of the buffaloes near Gadimai Temple at Bara District, November 24, 2009.
Gadhimai Mela" festival A herder sits inside an enclosure for buffalos awaiting sacrifice on the eve of the sacrificial ceremony for the "Gadhimai Mela" festival in Bariyapur November 27, 2014.
RTR4FUP7 A sick buffalo calf lies in an enclosure for buffalos awaiting sacrifice on the eve of the sacrificial ceremony for the "Gadhimai Mela" festival in Bariyapur November 27, 2014.

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Gadhimai festival

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gadhimai festival
गढ़िमाई पर्ब
Begins 28 November 2014
Frequency every 5 years
Venue Bariyarpur
Location(s) Bariyarpur
Most recent 2009
Gadhimai festival is a month-long Hindu festival that is held every five years at the Gadhimai temple of Bariyarpur, in Bara District, about 100 miles (160 km) south of the capital Kathmandu in southern Nepal, near the Indo-Nepal border by mostly bordering Indians and Madheshi people. The event involves the world's largest sacrificial slaughter of animals (approx. 300,000 - 500,000 as of last event) including water buffaloes, pigs, goats, chicken, rats, and pigeons – with the goal of pleasing Gadhimai, the goddess of power.[1]

Description

Promoter Pandey Rajiv (Tokyo) Nepali and worldwide country visit the Gadhimai festival.About 5 million people participate in the festival, Madheshis and 70% of the devotess are the people from the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Attending the festival in Nepal circumvents the ban on animal sacrifice in their own states.[2][3] Participants believe that animal sacrifices for the Hindu goddess Gadhimai will end evil and bring prosperity.[4]
A month before the ritual in 2009, the Madheshi politicians realized there would be a "severe shortage" of goats for the ritual sacrifice, as well as for the consumption of goat meat during the festival. They began a radio campaign urging farmers to sell their animals.[5]
The festival started in the first week of November 2009 and ended in the first week of December (up to makar sankranti), the fair has a custom of animal sacrifice that occurred on November 24 & 25 in the year 2009, with the temple's head priest performing ritual sacrifice called Saptabali which includes the sacrifice of white mice, pigeons, roosters, ducks, swine and male water buffaloes. More than 20,000 buffaloes were sacrificed on the first day.[6] It is estimated that 500,000 animals were killed during the Gadhimai festival of 2009.[2] The ritual killings were performed by more than 200 men in a concrete slaughterhouse near the temple.[7] Three infant children of Indian pilgrims who had come to observe Gadhimai festival died due to the extreme cold.[6] Six Indians died after drinking adulterated "hooch".[3]

Controversies

The festival has prompted numerous protests by animal rights activists and Nepalese Hindus from Hill region.[8][9] In 2009 activists made several attempts to stop the ritual, including Brigitte Bardot and Maneka Gandhi, who wrote to the Nepalese government asking them to stop the killings.[10][11] A government official commented that they would not "interfere in the centuries-old tradition of the Madheshi people."[2] Ram Bahadur Bomjon, claimed by some of his supporters to be the reincarnation of the Buddha, said that he would attempt to stop the sacrifice at the festival, preaching non-violence and offering a blessing at the place.[12][13] His promise prompted the government to send additional forces to prevent any incident.[13]
After the festival, the meat, bones and hides of the animals are sold to companies in India.[1]
Because the men who take on the role of killing the animals are largely unskilled in the ways of humane slaughter there is a concern that the animals are suffering needlessly, and dying slow and painful deaths.

Reactions

The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs has directed the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to monitor and make sure no animals get to Nepal for the festival.[14]
Actress Joanna Lumley of United Kingdom urged to stop the mass killings of animals in Gadhimai festival urging Madheshi leader and bordering Indians to stop this savagery. [15]

See also

References

Wikinews has related news: Ritual sacrifice in Nepal sees 320,000 animals slaughtered to Hindu goddess
  1. Jolly, Joanna (24 November 2009). "Devotees flock to Nepal animal sacrifice festival". BBC. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
  2. "Gadhimai festival begins despite protests in Nepal". The Hindu. 24 November 2009. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
  3. Sarkar, Sudeshna (24 November 2009). "Indians throng Nepal's Gadhimai fair for animal sacrifice". The Times of India. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
  4. "Gadhimai Festival: Nepal Mass Animal Sacrifice Festival To Go Ahead Despite Protests". The Huffington Post. 20 November 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  5. "Nepal hit by severe goat shortage". BBC. 15 September 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  6. "Over 20,000 buffaloes slaughtered in Gadhimai festival". NepalNews.com. 25 November 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  7. Xiang, Zhang. "Gadhimai festival begins in central Nepal". Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  8. "Never Again". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  9. "Gadhimai Festival:Why it must never happen Again". Think Differently. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  10. "Bardot appeal over animal slaughter at Nepal festival". BBC. 20 November 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  11. Bhanot, Anil (25 November 2009). "The Gadhimai sacrifice is grotesque". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  12. "Sacrifice of 200,000 Animals Proceeds Despite Pleas, Prayers". Environment News Service. 22 November 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  13. "Buddha boy fails to turn up at Gadhimai". Republica. 20 November 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  14. http://www.ekantipur.com/2014/10/13/editors-pick/gadaimai-slaughter-bihar-up-asked-to-check-animal-flow-into-bara/396254.html
  15. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2789504/end-nepal-s-festival-slaughter-joanna-lumley-calls-ban-sacrifice-250-000-animals-hindu-goddess.html