2014.11.29 Gadhimai（嘉蒂麥女神節）Sacrifice in Nepal

是五年一次的印度教儀式，在這個為期兩天的節日中，數百萬尼泊爾印度教徒將帶著各種牲畜前往尼泊爾南部某小鎮的Gadhimai廟進行大規模祭祀，然後信徒將把這些祭品帶回家鄉，在節日期間分享，傳說這會讓吃的人趨吉避凶，並帶來今後的好收成。據說這是目前全球最大的殺生祭，每年都有數十萬牛、豬、羊、雞等動物在這兩天喪生，2009年的數量更是高達30萬。由於犧牲數目眾多，又都是當眾斬首，尼泊爾的這一殺生祭招來了不少動物保護組織的非議，祭祀所在地也有不少示威遊行的人，也有武裝員警維護秩序。尼泊爾官方表示，該慶典是宗教傳統，拒絕干預。

The Gadhimai festival, celebrated every five years, is attended by many Hindus from India as well as Nepal. More than 200,000 buffaloes, pigs, goats, chickens and pigeons are expected to be slaughtered. Gadhimai It is held once every five years at the Gadhimai temple of Bariyarpur, in Bara District, about 100 miles (160 km) south of the capital Kathmandu in southern Nepal. The event involves the world's largest sacrifice of animals – including water buffaloes, pigs, goats, chicken and pigeons – with the goal of pleasing Gadhimai, the goddess of power.
The history of this bloodthirsty event began when Bhagwan Chaudhary, the feudal landlord, a imprisoned in Makwanpur fort prison about 260 years ago. He dreamed that all his problems would be solved if he made a blood sacrifice to Gadhimai. Immediately upon his release from prison he took counsel from the local village healer whose descendant, Dukha Kachadiya, started the ritual yesterday with drops of his own blood from five parts of his body. Apparently then a light "appeared" in an earthenware jar, and the gory sacrifice began.
It is considered the biggest single animal sacrifice on our planet. The festival’s name, Gadhimai, comes from a goddess whose temple is situated in a vast complex near a tiny village in Nepal not far from the Indian border. A sister of the goddess Kali, Gadhimai is supposed to have the power to fulfil wishes and augur good luck and prosperity. As in most parts of life, nothing comes for free and a certain duty has to be fulfilled to receive something in return. The duty in this case is the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of animals.

http://www.stopanimalsacrifice.org/gadimai-sacrifice.php