Gadhimai Festival Slaughter Is Banned In Nepal, Saving Millions Of Animals

Nepal's Gadhimai Festival, which is the world's largest animal sacrifice and claims the lives of hundreds of thousands of buffalo, goats and birds, will no longer see any blood being shed.

The Gadhimai Temple Trust has agreed to cancel the mass sacrificial killing following a campaign from Humane Society International and Animal Welfare Network Nepal.

Slaughter at the festival, which has a 265-year-old history and takes place every five years, been cancelled indefinitely, it was announced on Tuesday.

It was estimated that the festival in 2009 saw the massacre of 500,000 water buffalo, goats chickens and other animals, who had their heads severed as part of the ritual.

Campaigns from groups such as HSI and AWNN, coupled with a growing awareness of the event, meant that numbers were reduced by about 70% in 2014.

Organisers of the festival said that the time had come to “transform an old tradition” and that Gadhimai 2019 will instead celebrate life.

Ram Chandra Shah, chairman of the Gadhimai Temple Trust, said in a statement on Tuesday: “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.

“Our concern has been this: how do we convince the people, so desperate for the favour of Gadhimai, that there is another way? How do we bring them on our journey?

“Thankfully, the dedicated efforts of the Animal Welfare Network Nepal and Humane Society International has shown us the path and provided the motivation to make this transformation a reality.

“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.

“Through mass education and local development, we can bring enlightenment and prosperity to our region. We appeal for your support to develop our local infrastructure and educate our people.

“There is much work to be done, but together we can develop the social fabric of the Gadhimai area and bring peace to the Gadhimai Temple.”

BBC

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