“This year the number of goats slaughtered increased by two fold in comparison to last year," said Bishwanath Sah, Chairman of Mahavir Youth Committee, a local club. “The faith on Durga, also known as Kali or the goddess of power, is increasing day by day.” [break]
A total of 30 people were deputed for slaughter, which started at 7:58 PM on Saturday and concluded at 6:18 AM Sunday.
Hindus in Nepal have been offering the ritual of sacrificing goats to appease the goddess, for good luck and prosperity since time immemorial.
“This is an offering to our goddesses. Period," said a devout Hindu who standing on a serpentine queue at the Rajdevi temple, awaiting his turn to sacrifice the animal on a temple altar.
No wonder the ritualistic sacrifices continues unabated since time immemorial at the shrine of goddess Rajdevi in the capital of ancient Mithila, notwithstanding widespread condemnation by animal rights activists.
Even religious scholars have vowed to uphold this ritual.
“Hindu scriptures demand such sacrifice. It has been mentioned on the tenth verse of the 12th chapter of the holy book of Durga Saptashati," said Mithilesh Mishra, a Janakpur- based prominent pundit.
Mishra further said that Devi Bhagabat and many other religious texts also advocate animal sacrifice to please the almighty goddess.
“It is believed that goddess Durga will bestow peace, prosperity and success to those who offer such sacrifices on the eighth day of a ten-day Dashain festival," added Mishra.
He then went to warn that there would be uproar not only in Janakpur but across the country if animal sacrifices were prevented.
Another pundit Arvind Jha claimed that none of the Hindu scholars would allow any authority or organization to take initiative to end the centuries old ritual of sacrifices.
However, he added that some people have started bad practice of offering goats to enjoy feast or just for the sake of festivity, not out of the true spirit of the festival.
These pundits who are involved in animal sacrifice are vegetarians but they support and encourage the devotees to offer goats saying that such an act would appease goddess Durga and that she would fulfill their wishes.
Animal rights activist Pramada Shah, who is chairperson of Animal Nepal, has not given up the hope that the tradition of animal sacrifice would eventually come to an end.
“The Nepalis youths should take the initiative to stop animal slaughtering as they are aware from the animal rights," Shah said.
She further said that as Hinduism is a religion of peace, it does not support such a cruel act.
“God cannot be satisfied with the blood of innocent animals," claimed Shah. “It´s time to end such brutality in the name of religion."
Refuting the claims of pundits and religious scholars, Sah added, "It has been mentioned in the Hindu texts to sacrifice the sins and wrong doings to please God. The animals are merely used as symbols of our vices. Animal slaughtering can´t please god."
She further said that the ritual stems from our wrong interpretation of the complex scriptures.
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