Animal lovers and activists from across India have started raising their voices against the world’s largest animal sacrifice festival in Nepal in which thousands of animals, including goats and buffaloes, are sacrificed every five years. Animal lovers from across the country have urged the Gadhimai Temple Trust in Bara district of southern Nepal to spare the animals head of the sacrificial part of the ongoing festival. The sacrifice is proposed to be done from December 7 to 9.
Every five years, Gadhimai Temple in Nepal’s Bara district celebrates a month-long festival which hosts a month-long folk fair. This festival ends with a ritual of animal sacrifice to appease Goddess Gadhimai, who is believed to be an aspect of Goddess Kali. Many people from India also participate in this festival along with animals, which are sacrificed in belief that the goddess will fulfil their wish.
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According to Humane Society International, an organisation working for animal welfare in 50 countries, around 5 Lakh animals, including buffaloes, goats, rats, chickens, pigs and pigeons, were slaughtered at the festival in 2009. However, the organisation claimed that the figure dropped down to 30,000 animals in 2014 and furthermore in 2019. Animals are brutally beheaded by sharp knives and kukris.
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The organisation also claimed that around 70% of the animals sacrificed at the Gadhimai Festival are imported across the border from India, after enduring days of suffering without adequate food, water or shelter during transport. A large number of these animals are reportedly transported from Bihar, which shares border with Nepal.
In 2015, the Gadhimai Temple Trust had reportedly declared a complete ban on buffalo sacrifice at future festivals, following strong opposition. However, the 2019 festival saw sacrifice of around 3,500 buffaloes, according to HSI. In 2019, the Supreme Court of Nepal had directed government agencies to create an action plan to end animal sacrifice at the festival.
Animal lovers and activists from India and across the world have been opposing animal sacrifice at this festival. World Animal Protection called the Gadhimai Festival as “The Bloodiest Festival” and said, “The goddess never asked to sacrifice the animal. We all are children of God. The Almighty wants to keep every child happy, including animals.”
People For Animal and the Indian branch of Humane Society International and People For Animal, jointly addressed a press conference last week in Patna and urged devotees to refrain from sacrificing animals during the festival. Representatives from both the organizations also met the Chief Secretary of Bihar and request a directive to the police and law enforcement officials to ensure no illegal transport of animals. Following this the Bihar Government released directives to the police to be more vigilant on the Indo-Nepal border to check for illegal transport of animals.
Former Member of Parliament and a known animal activist Maneka Gandhi has written to the Bihar government urging preventive action against transport of animals. “Protecting animals is not just about preventing suffering, it’s about fostering a society that values compassion and respect for all living beings. We must challenge outdated traditions and create new ways to celebrate festivals that honour life and not take it away,” said Gandhi.
Another animal rights organisation has also started a mass campaign where it is helping people write emails to the relevant authorities appealing to seal the Indo-Nepal border till December 9. The emails are being sent to the police and administrative officials in Bihar and Delhi urging prevention of illegal trafficking of animals for the Gadhimai Festival.
HSI-India and PFA will deploy strategic border checkpoints to assist the border police in inspecting vehicles crossing the border, registering cases and confiscating animals ahead of this year’s festival. Stray Animal Foundation India has also organised a Peace Rally against the animal sacrifice at the festival.
Acharya Prashant, author and spiritual teacher, also spoke about the issue and asked the devotees to celebrate the festival with compassion and to honour traditions without harming animals. “Devotion should inspire compassion, not cruelty. Slaughtering animals in the name of the divine diminishes the spirit of worship. Let us honour the Goddess by upholding the sanctity of all life during Gadhimai,” he said.