Animal rights activists want Nepal's sacrifice festival stopped
Hundreds of thousands of livestock were killed in the last Gadhimai festival in Nepal, which rights campaigners dubbed a bloodbath
The Gadhimai temple in southern Nepal is preparing to celebrate its quinquennial festival in which thousands of animals are sacrificed to please the Hindu goddess of power.
Organisers estimate up to 15,000 buffalo will be slaughtered on November 28-29, the only two days allotted for animal sacrifice during the month-long festival. It is considered to be the world's largest ritual animal slaughter.
During the 2009 festival, more than 250,000 animals and livestock including buffalo, goats, pigs, rats, chicken, ducks and pigeons were killed around the 5km radius of the temple in the village of Bariyapur, 145km from capital Kathmandu.
"It was like a bloodbath," said Manoj Gautam, president of the Animal Welfare Network Nepal, who visited the site. "The mass slaughter of animals at Gadhimai represents violence in an extricable, inhumane manner and we are trying to stop that."
Animal rights organisations are campaigning to change this centuries-old tradition, but it is an uphill battle.
In remote parts of Nepal and neighbouring Indian states from where the majority of devotees visit Gadhimai, activists say religious beliefs are entrenched in the community. People refrain from challenging these customs fearing negative consequences from an angry goddess.