Nepal temple bans mass animal slaughter at festival

Kathmandu: In a significant move that will save the lives of millions of animals, the practice of sacrificing has been banned at Nepal’s Gadhimai festival, the world’s biggest animal sacrifice event held every five years.

The announcement comes on the heels of an international movement against the event, which led the Indian Supreme Court to prohibit animals from being shipped or shepherded across the border to be killed as offerings.

Humane Society India (HIS) estimated that more than 500,000 goats, chickens and buffaloes, along with other animals, were decapitated at Gadhimai in 2009.

The temple trust announced its decision on Tuesday and urged all devotees not to bring animals to the festival.

Quote Unquote

“The Gadhimai Temple Trust hereby declares our formal decision to end animal sacrifice. With your help, we can ensure Gadhimai 2019 is free from bloodshed. Moreover, we can ensure Gadhimai 2019 is a momentous celebration of life,” the chairman of the trust, Ram Chandra Shah, said.

“For generations, pilgrims have sacrificed animals to the Goddess Gadhimai, in the hope of a better life. For every life taken, our heart is heavy. The time has come to transform an old tradition. The time has come to replace killing and violence with peaceful worship and celebration,” he added.

 

Decision welcomed

The decision has been welcomed by animal right activists who have been campaigning against the practice.

“This is a tremendous victory for compassion that will save the lives of countless animals. We commend the temple committee but acknowledge that a huge task lies ahead of us in educating the public so that they are fully aware,” said an activist.

“Animal sacrifice is a highly regressive practice and no nation in the modern world should entertain it,” said Gauri Maulekhi, Humane Society International/India (HSI) Consultant and Trustee People for Animals, who had approached the Supreme Court of India against the movement of animals from the country into Nepal for the festival.

“We applaud the temple committee’s decision to end this mass slaughter of innocent animals and hope that they will continue to support us in our future endeavors for protecting animals in the country,” said Manoj Gautam, a founding member of Animal Welfare Network Nepal (AWNN) and campaigner against the Gadhimai festival.

History

The festival, which dates back about 265 years and which some say has even more ancient roots, is based on a dream founder Bhagwan Chowdhary had featuring Gadhimai, the Hindu goddess of power.

In the dream, Gadhimai demanded a sacrifice after freeing Chowdhary from prison, promising power and prosperity in return. Chowdhary prepared an animal offering, establishing a legacy of tradition and blood that would last nearly three centuries.