Others
Finally, Decapitation of Thousands of Animals in Nepal to Please A Goddess is Banned
They sever the heads of thousands of animals every five years to appease the Hindu goddess Gadhimai.
Every five years, the people of Bariyarpur, Nepal celebrate the Gadhimai festival to appease Gadhimai, the Hindu goddess of power. For two and a half centuries, pilgrims from Nepal and India slaughter hundreds of thousands of animals by decapitating them at the Gadhimai temple.
According to the Hindu mythology, an imprisoned feudal landlord named Bhagwan Chowdhary dreamt that he would be freed from all his worldly afflictions if he would offer a blood sacrifice to the deity.
Gadhimai wanted a human sacrifice, but Chowdhary offered animal blood instead.
Since then, they practiced the ritual in the country.
At least 80% of those have traveled from India just to witness the slaughter.
The ritual begins with the sacrifice of five animals (a rat, goat, pigeon, pig, and a rooster).
It is known as the “Pancha Bali”.
Continue reading next page…
By the end of the day, thousands of lifeless bodies of the animals…
…and their severed heads
…would cover the vast field of the temple.
Approximately 500,000 buffalos, goats, chickens….
…and other animals were sacrificed during the two-day festivity last 2009.
Continue reading next page…
But last year, the number of animals brought and killed dropped to 250,000.
The decline was due to the petition made by animal rights activists.
The decline was due to the petition made by animal rights activists at the Supreme Court of India to prohibit the cross-border transportation of animals for sacrifices so they could finally put the brutal practice to an end.
A butcher sharpens his knife before he continues to decapitate innocent animals.
As a result of the appeal, 2,500 innocent animals were saved from the brutal killings.
More than 100 individuals were arrested for violating the order last 2014.
Continue reading next page…
But last Tuesday, Ram Chandra Shah, chair of the Gidhimai Temple Trust, officially announced the end of the century-old practice. In an honest and emotional statement that he wrote, he said, “For every life taken, our heart is heavy.
A woman prays near the pit where the severed heads will be buried.
Recently, the temple officially announced the end of the century-old brutal practice.
For generations, pilgrims have sacrificed animals to the Goddess Gadhimai…
…in the hope of a better life…
The time has come to replace killing and violence with peaceful worship and celebration.
Continue reading next page…
The Gadhimai Temple Trust hereby declares the 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.
Through mass education and local development…
…we can bring enlightenment and prosperity to our region.
The rigorous negotiations and the campaigns made by Humane Society International India and Animal Welfare Network Nepal paid off, and several animal protection services were pleased about the decision.
Gauri Maulekhi, a consultant for the Indian office of Washington D.C.-based Humane Society International said, “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.”
While Manoj Gautam, founding member of Animal Welfare Network Nepal stated, “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.”
But Mr. Shah, the chair of the Gadhimai Temple Trust, emphasized the need to educate the people so that the next festival will be free of violence against animals.
H/T: The Wall Street Journal, Daily Mail
That Day 250,000 Animals Were Violently Slaughtered in Nepal To Please A Goddess
