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Nepal and India: Saving animals from the Gadhimai sacrifice, part two

Art, animals, and the earth

By Sharon St Joan

To read part one first, click here.

Opposition to the sacrifice grows

 

In the months running up to the time of the Gadhimai sacrifice, there has been a growing and very vocal opposition to the sacrifice, worldwide.

Baba Ramdev, a popular spiritual leader in India with a huge following, has spoken out against the sacrifice.

Dr. Chinny Krishna expressed his conviction that “this Gadhimai festival will be the last one to include any animals from India,” adding that “this year, there will be a major dent at least in the numbers of cattle.”

Buffalos, pigeons, goats, sheep, and chickens are also sacrificed. It is harder to catch and prevent the smaller ones from crossing the border.

On another level

There have been no shortage of contacts with the Chief Priest of the Gadhimai Temple and with the Nepalese government, and these continue.

Rudra Krishna…

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Nepal and India: Saving animals from the Gadhimai sacrifice, part one

Art, animals, and the earth

By Sharon St Joan

In the late November cold, teams from Chennai and other Indian cities are camping out in the open along the Nepal/India border. They are there to stop as many animals as possible from crossing the border to become part of the horrifying scene of sacrifice during the Gadhimai Festival that takes place every five years, and which is due to happen on November 28 and 29, Friday and Saturday, of this week.

These brave volunteers work with the police and border authorities. The teams patrol between the police stations and border posts. They are not allowed to stop any cattle. Instead, they can observe and take photos and video, recording what they see. They report to the police any violations or any animals they see from India crossing the border. They will collect evidence.

In many places, the border crossings are three to five kilometers apart…

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