Gadhimai Carnage Day One

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Gadhimai

Festival Day-1

 

- Thousands of buffaloes sacrificed

 

LAXMI SAH, PAWAN YADAV

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BARIYAPUR (BARA), NOV 24 - Despite widespread condemnation, thousands of

animals were sacrificed en masse on the first day of Gadhimai festival at

Bariyapur of Bara district on Tuesday.

 

Thousands of Hindu devotees congregated at Gadhimai Temple to attend the

festival, which takes place every five years.

 

The ritual sacrifice commenced with head priest Mangal Chaudhary offering

blood of freshly slain wild rat, pigeon, rooster, duck, lamb, buffalo and

pig to the goddess.

 

According to Dhenukh Chaurasiya, vice chairman of Animal Sacrifice

Management Sub-committee, at least 16,000 bu-ffaloes were slaughtered on the

first day. “The exact number will be out by Wednesday after we finish

counting the heads,” he said. He added that the number of sacrificed

animals could be higher this time compared to the last festival.

 

The sacrifice was conducted at a concrete slaughterhouse built near the

temple where thousands of animals brought by devotees were slain by more

than 200 men with swords and machetes.

 

It is believed one’s desire will be fulfilled after offering puja and

sacrifice to the goddess during the festival.

 

In view of the possibility of epidemic, the festival organisers have

contracted local contractors to manage the carcasses of slaughtered animals.

The contractors have paid 5.1 million rupees for the use of flesh, hide and

bones of the animals.

 

“Earlier, the festival management committee used to earn nearly 2 million

rupees selling hide, while the local dalits ate the flesh,” Chaurasiya said.

 

 

The dalit community has refused to consume the flesh of slaughtered animals

this year.