Tradition and Controversy at Nepal’s Gadhimai Festival With Water Buffalo, Rats, and Pigeons Sacrificed

In the small town of Bariyarpur, Nepal, a unique and deeply controversial festival takes place every five years. Known as the Gadhimai festival, it involves the mass sacrifice of animals in honor of the Hindu goddess Gadhimai, a ritual believed to bring prosperity and protection to her devotees. However, this tradition has become a flashpoint between religious practice and animal welfare concerns.

The origins of the festival trace back over 250 years, when the founder of the temple claimed to have had a vision of the goddess demanding blood. Over time, the event has grown, with thousands of pilgrims from Nepal and India traveling to the temple. Once a human sacrifice was reportedly part of the ritual, but animals now bear the brunt of this age-old practice. Devotees sacrifice everything from rats to water buffalo, believing this offering fulfills their wishes.

Despite its cultural and religious significance, the festival has drawn criticism from animal rights advocates worldwide. Critics argue that the sheer scale of the sacrifice—historically involving millions of animals—is unparalleled in its cruelty. Arkaprava Bhar from Humane Society International described it as unmatched in its level of brutality, contrasting it sharply with regulated meat industries.

Efforts to curtail the ritual have intensified over the past decade. Court orders in both Nepal and India have attempted to halt illegal animal transport and reduce the number of sacrifices. Activists have also initiated grassroots campaigns to educate communities about the ethical and health concerns associated with the festival. Sneha Shrestha of the Federation of Animal Welfare Nepal lamented that despite these efforts, government officials remain largely uncooperative, with some even supporting the practice.

The temple reportedly profits from the festival by charging fees for sacrifices and selling animal byproducts, leading some to accuse it of exploiting impoverished devotees. Yet, many locals maintain that the ritual is a vital part of their faith, and the demand for sacrifices remains robust.

Latest Petitions to Sign:

• Petition: Help Shut Down Zoo in England That Has a Long History of Animal Abuse and Neglect
• Petition: Help Enshrine the Amazon Rainforest’s Right to Exist into Law
• Petition: Urge SeaQuest to Shut Down Remaining Locations and Send Animals to Sanctuaries
• Petition: Help Send Escaped Lab Monkeys to a Sanctuary
• Petition: Help Pass Pennsylvania Bill That Protects Pets from Domestic Violence
• Petition: Investigate Woman Who Stuffed Dead Dogs in ‘Caskets Boxes’ and in a Freezer
• Petition: Tell the Scottish and UK Governments to Ban the Public Sale of Fireworks to Protect Animals
• Petition: Tell the EU to Ban Single-Use Disposable Vapes
• Petition: Justice for Thousands of Workers in Saudi Arabia Who Have Died or Gone Missing
• Petition: Tell Hawaii to Follow California’s Lead and Ban Octopus Farming

Related Content:

• Eid al-Adha Festival Sacrificed Over 10 Million Animals
• Yulin Festival Has a New Look!
• The Tihar Festival, Which Worships Animals, Began on Saturday!
• Desert Rain Revives Ancient Shrimp at Flooded Burning Man Festival
• Bright Pink Sheep at Latitude Festival Draws the Ire of Animal Rights Activists

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Adopt-a-Pet: Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals and the planet.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!