(NP) - Silent Buddhists pray for peace as Nepal revels in blood

[Guest guest]

*A poll shows that over 60% of Nepalis believe Dasain festival is not

complete without sacrifice. Still, protests are growing among animal welfare

activists, civil society leaders and the media in general. Buddhist leaders

have offered prayers since many years during 'kal ratri' , black night, when

hundreds of thousands of animals are being sacrifices. Much more needs to be

done but for now we want to thank anyone who spoke out and/or offered

prayers.* <http://www.nerve.in/news:25350096793>

<http://www.nerve.in/news:25350096795>

*Kathmandu* <http://www.nerve.in/tags:kathmandu> |*26 minutes ago*

*Silent Buddhists pray for peace as Nepal revels in blood*

Friday, 19 October 2007 | http://www.nerve.in/news:25350096794 | channel:

Nepal <http://www.nerve.in/channel:nepal>

" An SMS opinion poll by a private television station showed over 60 percent

of the respondents saying the festival would remain incomplete without

animal sacrifices while nearly 20 percent said they would think of it next

year. " *By **Sudeshna

Sarkar*<http://www.nerve.in/author:Sudeshna+Sarkar>

 

Kathmandu, Oct 19 - Though a ceasefire between the government and the Maoist

guerrillas has held for over a year now, yet Nepal is passing through one of

its goriest periods with thousands of animals being sacrificed daily on the

occasion of Dashain, the biggest Hindu festival in the country.

 

On Friday, the eighth day of the nearly fortnight-long celebrations, animal

killings reach a crescendo, with buffaloes, goats and chickens being

slaughtered at the altars of various deities of power.

 

Amidst growing protests by animal rights activists, a group of Buddhist

monks has begun silent prayers to pray for the souls of the animals

sacrificed during the festival.

 

Hundreds of red-robed lamas - Buddhist monks - led by the Nepal Ahimsavadi

Bouddha Dharma Vishwa Shanti Chakra Sangh stopped speaking from Thursday in

monasteries across 22 districts to issue silent prayers for the welfare of

all creatures of god.

 

The soundless prayers started from Lumbini town in southern Nepal, where the

Buddha was born.

 

The Nyunge Maun Brata - silent prayers - will continue till Saturday, when

the key part of the festival concludes with the tika -- priests and elders

smearing vermilion on worshippers' foreheads in blessing.

 

Though from a Hindu kingdom Nepal became a secular country last year,

non-Hindu communities complain that the government still remains hard-core

Hindu, ignoring other religions.

 

A delegation of Buddhist, Muslim and other religious communities has

petitioned Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, over 200 members of

parliament and Speaker Subhash Chandra Nembang this month, when the festival

started, urging for equal treatment to all religious communities.

 

The delegation is asking the government to stop the tradition of observing a

10-day holiday in all government offices to celebrate the festival.

 

Prior to the petition, Muslims had urged the prime minister to declare

Id-ul-Fitr, observed by Muslims worldwide after a month of fasting, as a

national holiday. However, their plea went unheeded.

 

Though media groups and private radio stations have been campaigning for a

bloodless Dashain and more kindness to animals, the campaigns have been

largely ignored by Nepalis.

 

An SMS opinion poll by a private television station showed over 60 percent

of the respondents saying the festival would remain incomplete without

animal sacrifices while nearly 20 percent said they would think of it next

year.

 

The tradition of animal sacrifices received a boost Thursday when King

Gyanendra came out of his palace, despite opposition by the Maoists, to

offer a goat at the altar of the goddesses of power at one of the main

temples of the capital.

 

 

Lucia de Vries

Freelance Journalist

Bagdol, Patan, Nepal

Wijk 4-47, 8321 GE Urk, Holland