Written by: Pratik Dangol - 27009, Grade IX
Posted on: 12 June, 2023
Newar community is an indigenous group of people living in and around the Kathmandu valley. We have many religious practices in our culture. We have uncountable culture, jatras, etc. So among our cultural activities, sacrificing animals to god is one of them.
Animals like goats, chicken, buffalo, pigs, etc are sacrificed to god in different festivals and jatras. The practice of animal sacrifice is believed to have originated from the Hindu tradition, where animals were sacrificed to appease the gods and goddesses. Later the practice evolved in different ways and became an important characteristic in the Newar community. In the community, the sacrifice of animals is not only a religious act but is a way of connecting to culture and cultural heritages. It seemed to be a way of giving back to deities to have fortune upon the community. It is also an act of seeking forgiveness for our mistakes.
You must be wondering what next after the sacrifice is done? Is it thrown or eaten? It is distributed among the people of that particular place as “prasad”. Hence, the selection of animals is very important. The selection of animals is done seeing the weight and health of the animal. Health is checked first because we consume that meat and we need to make sure that it is good enough to be consumed. Next, weight is also taken under consideration because the meat of animals has to be distributed in a big number of people. A puja is done before the sacrifice. At last it is sacrificed by cutting the neck part, the blood is completely drained.
So, is it right to sacrifice animals in the name of religion? The question itself is a very controversial question because everyone’s opinions are different. Answering this question causes the rise of many conflicts. Different national and international organisations have gone against animal sacrifice but the defender from the community says it’s very important for the culture and we sacrifice animals with respect and care. In my opinion this should not be a controversial case. If this is intervened by the government then the backlash from the Newar community will be huge.
In conclusion, animal sacrifice is a religious practice in the Newar community that has been done in different jatras and festivals. This is a very controversial and sensitive matter as all have their own opinions in it. It should not be stopped but improved to make both parties happy in this controversial matter. We need to come to a middle ground.
