Source: www.hafsite.org
WASHINGTON, DC, November 27, 2009: The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) described the mass slaughter of animals at the Gadhimai Temple in Nepal, which began on November 24, 2009, as grotesque and nearly unrecognizable in the practice of mainstream Hinduism today.
While “yagna,” the ritual of sacrifice in which oblations are offered to the Divine Agni (fire), is acknowledged by Hindus, and there are allusions in Hindu texts to the sacrifice of animals in ancient texts, Hinduism also unequivocally advocates the protection of all living beings seeing divinity in them. Modern Hindus, making up the largest numbers of vegetarians in the world, therefore perform the fire sacrifice symbolically using grains, fruits, butter, etc., to propitiate various deities.
“It is unfortunate that the temple in Nepal still allows this feudal, anachronistic and bloody animal sacrifice whatever the local and religious lore,” added Prof. Rao. “Remembering that forty-five million turkeys were sacrificed this week for Thanksgiving alone, we hope that the world will join us in condemning the sanitized butchering of billions of animals for food with the same zeal that we condemn the orgiastic killings in Nepal in the name of religion.”