Description Edit

About 4 million people participate in the festival.[6][7] Participants believe that animal sacrifices to the Hindu goddess Gadhimai will end evil and bring prosperity.[8][9] A month before the ritual in 2009, the Madheshi politicians realized there would be a "severe shortage" of goats for the ritual sacrifice, as well as for the consumption of goat meat during the festival. They began a radio campaign urging farmers to sell their animals.[10] The festival started in the first week of November 2009 and ended in the first week of December (up to makar sankranti), the fair has a custom of animal sacrifice that occurred on November 24 and 25 in the year 2009, with the temple's head priest performing ritual sacrifice called Saptabali, which includes the sacrifice of white mice, pigeons, roosters, ducks, swine and male water buffaloes. More than 20,000 buffaloes were sacrificed on the first day.[11] It is estimated that 250,000 animals were sacrificed during the Gadhimai festival of 2009.[12] The ritual killings were performed by more than 200 men in a concrete slaughterhouse near the temple.[13]

Controversies and objections Edit

Reactions Edit

The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs has directed the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to monitor and make sure no animals get to Nepal for the festival.[22]

Termination of the festival Edit

Nepal's temple trust announced the cancellation of all future animal sacrifice at the country's Gadhimai festival in July 2015.[23][24][25]

See also Edit