Kathmandu (Nepal): The centuries old animal sacrifice at Gadhimai festival in Nepal has been banned. Giving a major relief to Animal rights activists, the festival was banned as it witnesses the bloodshed. However, highly regressive practice has come to an end.
On Tuesday, the officials of the temple declared the ban and also urged the devotees not to sacrifice animals at the fest. The statement of the temple trust says, “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.”
The statement further reads, “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.”
Held once every five years, the Gadhimai festival marks a tradition of worshiping the Goddess by offering animals. Devotees from Nepal and India flock to the temple and sacrifice animals as a ritual. In recent festival, nearly 2,00,000 animals were slaughtered by millions of worshippers at the festival to please the Goddess.
