This past Tuesday and Wednesday a ceremony was held in Nepal in which 200,000 buffaloes, goats, chickens and pigeons were slaughtered as part of a festival held every five years to honor Gadhimai, a Hindu goddess of power.
Nepal is located in Asia between China and India. Animal- rights activists/protesters including former actress and animal-rights advocate, Brigette Bardot, have condemned this bloody festival.
This reportedly was the largest sacrificial slaughter of animals in the world. So why are more than 200,000 animals really killed?
The hundreds of thousands of participants believe slaughtering an animal in the name of Gadhamai will end evil and bring prosperity. The manner in which they are killed- either cutting off their heads or slitting their throats with a sword as seen in this picture- is considered cruel and barbaric by many including me.
I don’t pretend to know their culture but why do they have to carry out this festival in such a cruel manner? Think about it. Cutting off a head can’t be that easy. Repeated attempts to cut the head off would have to be done to accomplish the horrible end result. Imagine the suffering that animal must endure before succumbing to its fatal injuries.
Unfortunately, it does not appear this festival will end anytime soon. Nepal’s government said it will continue with its centuries-old tradition.
Bardot says,”I have dedicated my life to protect animals and the best gift I could receive for this lifelong struggle would be the announcment of the stopping of ritual sacrifice.”
And I agree.
What are your thoughts on this age-old ritual of sacrificing animals? Do you think it is barbaric and cruel?