In pictures: Hindu animal sacrifice festival in Nepal
- Published
More than two million worshippers have travelled to Nepal for the mass slaughter of animals in honour of a Hindu goddess. Some readers may find these pictures upsetting.
Worshippers brought their own offerings, such as this buffalo being carried in a rice sack
Devotees believe the mass sacrifice pleases Gadhimai, the goddess of power
Organisers say the festival is a generations-old tradition, but animal rights campaigners say it is barbaric
One of those attending said the atmosphere was "like a carnival"
More than 5,000 buffalo were killed on Friday
Goats, rats, chickens, pigs and pigeons were also brought to the festival for sacrifice
Vendors at the festival sold sacrificial knives
The bodies of the animals, filling the air with the smell of freshly slaughtered meat, will eventually be buried in a large pit
It is not yet known how many animals will be slaughtered over the two days, but 300,000 died at the last festival in 2009