The bloodbath begun after the chief priest, Mangal Chaudhary, offered panchabali (five-fold sacrifice of a rat, a pig, a pigeon, a buffalo and a goat) in the morning, thereby formally inaugurating the festival during which some 300,000 animals and birds are to be slaughtered over two days. Worshipers, who thronged the temple from all over the country and from India also, have started offering the sacrifices to goddess Gadhimai.
After the panchabali, some 300 men with heavy-duty swords were let loose among thousands of buffaloes spread over four bigha of land. The scene was like a battlefield because of the screaming of the men. It was violent and chaotic with the men charging at the more than 15,000 animals with their khukuris and swords and the scared buffaloes starting to run helter-skelter.
The swordsmen, however, said that they enjoyed the sacrifices. “The more animals I kill, the more satisfied I feel,” Ramlal Mahato said. He added that he has taken to this practice to give continuity to an age-old tradition.
While many of the men were found to be doing the slaughter for the money, many others were simply killing time. A large crowd had gathered around the site to watch the killings.
Worshipers said that they offer the sacrifices to please the goddess. They believe that their wishes would come true after the sacrifices are made. “My wish has been fulfilled. I had vowed to offer a sacrifice after I found a new job,” Sunil Kumar, who came from Champaran city in India, said. There are many like Kumar who have come from India to offer sacrifices to the goddess. One Indian from Bihar state is offering 105 buffaloes this time, the organizing committee said.
Gadhimai Festival Organizing Committee coordinator Shiva Chandra Kushwaha informed that 15,000 buffaloes will be slaughtered on the first day, but since more buffaloes are being brought the number may cross 20,000. The Committee estimates that some five million people may visit the temple during the festival. Although the sacrifices will last till Wednesday only, the festival will go on for another two weeks. Some 125 traffic police have been mobilized along eight roads leading to Gadhimai.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened around the temple premises in comparison to the last time the festival occurred five years ago. The Armed Police Force Pilwa said that security was tightened after it was reported that Ram Bahadur Bamjan, the Buddha boy, will be visiting the temple as a symbolic protest. Superintendent of Police Chiranjibi Kuwar said some 1,500 police have been mobilized for the event and more may be stationed if needed. Police have been facing problems relating to pick-pocketings, lost children and crowd control.
Bamjan, on the other hand, is now said to be out of contact. He was set to arrive here Friday. Earlier, there were protest rallies against the mass sacrifice in various places in Bara, Parsa and Makawanpur districts.
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