Witnessing Animal Sacrifice in Nepal

It was late in the afternoon and I had just finished sightseeing in most of Kathmandu. My last stop was Durbar Square. As I wandered the area I saw a huge crowd of locals inside this temple, which sparked my curiosity. When I entered, I smelled something foul and saw blood all over the floor. I stepped closer and saw they had just finished slaughtering goats!

The goats were fully skinned and their organs visible for everyone to see. Two people chopped up the meat and sorted the pieces with their raw hands.

Right next to the flesh I saw two men wearing masks performing in what appeared to be some sort of sacred dance.

I later found out this was the 9^thday of the holiday Dashain. It is believed that the demons defeated by Durga took the form of a buffalo and other animals, which destroyed everything in their path. As a result, buffalo and other animals are sacrificed.

What a day to be in Nepal!