A buffalo is sacrificed near Gadhimai Temple at Bara District, about 300 km (186 miles) south of Kathmandu November 24, 2009Gopal Chitrakar/REUTERS
Today marks the beginning of the Nepalese Gadhimai festival, where hundreds of thousands of animals are expected to be sacrificed in the name of the Hindu goddess.
The festival, which takes place every five years at the border town of Bariyarpur, sees men armed with traditional swords behead animals including goats, chickens, pigs and buffalo. The last festival, which took place in 2009, saw over a quarter of a million animals killed and CNN are reporting that this year the number of sacrifices are expected to double to 500,000.
The festival is the world's largest mass animal sacrifice, and the event has attracted widespread criticism. This year a campaign to ban the festival was launched with supporters including Brigitte Bardot and Joanna Lumley who petitioned Nepal's president to end the "cruel tradition".
Stuntmen perform on the eve of the sacrificial ceremony for the "Gadhimai Mela" festival in Bariyapur November 27, 2014.Navesh Chitrakar/REUTERSPeople walk along a field near the enclosure for buffalos awaiting sacrifice on the eve of the sacrificial ceremony for the "Gadhimai Mela" festival in Bariyapur November 27, 2014.Navesh Chitrakar/ReutersHerders work inside an enclosure for buffalos awaiting sacrifice on the eve of the sacrificial ceremony for the "Gadhimai Mela" festival in Bariyapur November 27, 2014.Navesh Chitrakar/REUTERSSacrificial blades are displayed for sale near the enclosure for buffalos awaiting sacrifice on the eve of the sacrificial ceremony for the "Gadhimai Mela" festival in Bariyapur November 27, 2014.Navesh Chitrakar/ReutersPeople who are specially assigned to slaughter animals arrive to take part in a mass sacrifice of the buffaloes near Gadimai Temple at Bara District, about 300 km (186 miles) south of Kathmandu, November 24, 2009. Shruti Shrestha/REUTERSDevotees arrive at Gadimai Temple with pigeons for offerings at Bara District, about 300 km (186 miles) south of Kathmandu November 24, 2009.Gopal Chitrakar/REUTERSPeople who are specially assigned to slaughter animals take part in a mass sacrifice of the buffaloes near Gadimai Temple at Bara District, about 300 km (186 miles) south of Kathmandu, November 24, 2009.Gopal Chitrakar/REUTERSDevotees warm themselves as they wait for a mass sacrifice of buffaloes near Gadimai Temple at Bara District, November 24, 2009.Gopal Chitrakar/ REUTERSA man who is specially assigned to slaughter animals takes part in a mass sacrifice of the buffaloes near Gadimai Temple at Bara District, November 24, 2009.Shruti Shrestha/ REUTERSA herder sits inside an enclosure for buffalos awaiting sacrifice on the eve of the sacrificial ceremony for the "Gadhimai Mela" festival in Bariyapur November 27, 2014.Navesh Chitrakar/REUTERSA sick buffalo calf lies in an enclosure for buffalos awaiting sacrifice on the eve of the sacrificial ceremony for the "Gadhimai Mela" festival in Bariyapur November 27, 2014.Navesh Chitrakar/REUTERS
