Gadhimai festival
Encyclopedia
Gadhimai festival is a month-long Hindu
festival that is held once every five years at the Gadhimai temple of Bariyarpur
, in Bara District
, about 100 miles (160.9 km) south of the capital Kathmandu in southern Nepal
. The event involves the world's largest sacrifice of animals
– including water buffalo
es, pigs, goats, cows, chicken and pigeons – with the goal of pleasing Gadhimai
, the goddess
of power.
and Bihar
& Terai. Attending the festival in Nepal circumvents the ban on animal sacrifice in their own states.
Participants believe that animal sacrifices for the Hindu goddess Gadhimai will end evil and bring prosperity.
A month before the ritual in 2009, the Nepalese government realised 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.
The festival started in the first week of November 2009 and ends in the first week of December (up to makar sankranti), the fair has a custom of animal sacrifice that occurred on November 24 & 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. It is estimated that 500,000 animals were killed during the Gadhimai festival of 2009. The ritual killings were performed by more than 200 men in a concrete slaughterhouse
near the temple. Three infant children of pilgrims who had come to observe Gadhimai festival had died due to the extreme cold. Six people died after drinking adulterated "hooch
".
The festival has prompted numerous protests by animal rights activists. In 2009 activists made several attempts to stop the ritual, including Brigitte Bardot
and Maneka Gandhi
, who wrote to the Nepalese government asking them to stop the killings. A government official commented that they will not "interfere in the centuries-old tradition of the people." Ram Bahadur Bomjon
, claimed by some of his supporters to be the reincarnation of the Buddha, said that he will attempt to stop the sacrifice at the festival, preaching non-violence and offering a blessing at the place. His promise had prompted the government to send additional forces to prevent any incident.
After the festival, the meat, bones and hides of the sacrificed animals are sold to processing and tannery companies in India and Nepal.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
festival that is held once every five years at the Gadhimai temple of Bariyarpur
Bariyarpur, Bara
Bariyarpur is a place situated in Munger, Bihar, India, its geographical coordinates are 25° 18' 0" North, 86° 35' 0" East and its original name is Bariārpur....
, in Bara District
Bara District
Bara District of 559,135. Pasaha, Dudhaura and Bangari are the main rivers of Bara. Gamahariya is one of the villages of Bara District which is situated near the border area of India....
, about 100 miles (160.9 km) south of the capital Kathmandu in southern Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. The event involves the world's largest sacrifice of animals
Animal sacrifice
Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing of an animal as part of a religion. It is practised by many religions as a means of appeasing a god or gods or changing the course of nature...
– including water buffalo
Water buffalo
The water buffalo is a domesticated bovid widely kept in Asia, Europe and South America.Water buffalo can also refer to:*Wild water buffalo , the wild ancestor of the domestic water buffalo...
es, pigs, goats, cows, chicken and pigeons – with the goal of pleasing Gadhimai
Gadhimai
Gadhimai is the name of one of the Hindu goddesses of power, though the term usually refers to the world's biggest animal sacrifice conducted at the Gadhimai temple area in central Terai of Nepal....
, the goddess
Devi
Devī is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism, its related masculine term is deva. Devi is synonymous with Shakti, the female aspect of the divine, as conceptualized by the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. She is the female counterpart without whom the male aspect, which represents...
of power.
Description
About 5 million people participate in the festival, the majority of whom are Madheshi people from the Indian states of Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
& Terai. Attending the festival in Nepal circumvents the ban on animal sacrifice in their own states.
Participants believe that animal sacrifices for the Hindu goddess Gadhimai will end evil and bring prosperity.
A month before the ritual in 2009, the Nepalese government realised there would be a "severe shortage" of goats for the ritual sacrifice, as well as for the consumption of goat meat
Goat meat
Goat meat is the meat of the domestic goat . It is often called chevon or mutton when the meat comes from adults, and cabrito or kid when from young animals...
during the festival. They began a radio campaign urging farmers to sell their animals.
The festival started in the first week of November 2009 and ends in the first week of December (up to makar sankranti), the fair has a custom of animal sacrifice that occurred on November 24 & 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. It is estimated that 500,000 animals were killed during the Gadhimai festival of 2009. The ritual killings were performed by more than 200 men in a concrete slaughterhouse
Slaughterhouse
A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products...
near the temple. Three infant children of pilgrims who had come to observe Gadhimai festival had died due to the extreme cold. Six people died after drinking adulterated "hooch
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
".
The festival has prompted numerous protests by animal rights activists. In 2009 activists made several attempts to stop the ritual, including Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot is a French former fashion model, actress, singer and animal rights activist. She was one of the best-known sex-symbols of the 1960s.In her early life, Bardot was an aspiring ballet dancer...
and Maneka Gandhi
Maneka Gandhi
Maneka Gandhi is an Indian politician, animal rights activist, environmentalist, former model and widow of the Indian politician, Sanjay Gandhi. She has been a minister in four governments, and has authored a number of books in the areas of etymology, law and animal welfare...
, who wrote to the Nepalese government asking them to stop the killings. A government official commented that they will not "interfere in the centuries-old tradition of the people." Ram Bahadur Bomjon
Ram Bahadur Bomjon
Ram Bahadur Bomjon , also known as Palden Dorje and now Dharma Sangha, is from Ratanapuri village, Bara district, Nepal...
, claimed by some of his supporters to be the reincarnation of the Buddha, said that he will attempt to stop the sacrifice at the festival, preaching non-violence and offering a blessing at the place. His promise had prompted the government to send additional forces to prevent any incident.
After the festival, the meat, bones and hides of the sacrificed animals are sold to processing and tannery companies in India and Nepal.