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.

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