This petition is to take action against the mass slaughter taking place in Nepal during the annually occurring Dashain Festival (traditionally known as Mwohni). The festival lasts for fifteen days, during which hundreds of thousands of animals are sacrificed to help mankind liberate themselves of their sins and grant them of their wishes.

The ceremonies are executed in commemoration of the beliefs and traditions of bloody battles between the “divine” and “demonic” powers that are held within animals such as buffalo, goats and pigeons. Sacrificing these animals, it is believed by the many worshippers, will grant a variety of blessings that vary from fertility to blessing tradesmen etc safety from accidents and success.

Depending on the full moon of shukla paksha (bright lunar fortnight), the Dashain festival occurs in September or October. It is the longest and most anticipated festival that takes place in Nepal and even enforces the closure of all government offices, educational institutions and many businesses in it’s honor. The most important days are the first, seventh, eight, ninth and tenth days.

The eighth day, known as the ‘Maha Asthami’, is the day when the most heightened of the Goddess Durga’s manifestations (known as the blood-thirsty Kali), is appeased through the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of buffaloes, goats, pigeons and ducks in temples throughout the nation. In these ceremonies, blood is symbolic for its fertility and is considered to be the most honorable offering to the Goddesses.

The sacrifices carrying on throughout the night of this day, is called Kal Ratri (Black Night). In addition to these offerings, it is common for buffaloes to be sacrificed in the courtyards of all the land revenue offices in the country on this day. On the midnight of the very day the Dasain Ghar, a total of 54 buffaloes and 54 goats are sacrificed in observance of the rites. After the offering of the blood, the flesh of the sacrificed animals is prepared and eaten by the worshippers, believing that it is a blessing of divinity if consumed.

The ninth day is called Mahanavami, otherwise referred to as “the great ninth day”. Upon this day the animal sacrifice ceremonies and rituals are at the highest concentration and of the highest regard where even official military officers participate on holy and royal grounds. Often, buffaloes are sacrificed under the order of  gun salute. Rituals are held at sacred places such as the Taleju Temple where on this day is the only day that the public may enter and is therefore one of the most heavily populated visit sites.

The public needs to be made aware of the atrocities taking place during the Dashain Festival and the many festivals happening throughout Nepal just like it. We ask that you post and share this petition to install awareness and education amongst the people of Nepal, the government and the rest of the world to aid in implementing animal protection laws within the country, as well as alternative offerings to the gods and traditions in Nepalese culture that do not result in the mass bloodshed slaughters that have been occurring for centuries now.

Please visit http://www.animalrecoverymission.org/dashain-festival-2015/ for more information and Animal Recovery Mission's investigation of this and other Nepali Festivals.

Please help ARM in sending a letter to the government of Nepal stating your feelings for the festival and the change you wish to see from them. Below is a sample letter:

LETTER TO:
Nepali Congress Central Office
Ministry of Home Affairs, Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal Honorable Minister
Ministry of Law and Justice, Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal Honorable Minister
Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction, Singh Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal Honorable Minister
Ministry of Tourism & Civil Aviation, Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal Honorable Minister
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal Honorable Minister
Office of the President, Sheetal Niwas, Kathmandu, Nepal Right Honorable President Dr Ram Baran Yadav
Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal Honorable State Minister for Foreign Affairs
Office of the Prime Minister, Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal Honorable Prime Minister
Tarai Madhesh Loktantrik Party
Communist Party of Nepal (Unified)
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
Rastriya Prajatantra Party
Communist Party of Nepal (CPN ML)

To, 

The Government of Nepal, 

Honourable Prime Minister of Nepal: Shri Sushil Koirala, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Nepal Department of Livestock Services, Nepal

Dear Sirs/Ma'ams

Taking place annually in the county of Nepal, is the most anticipated festival amongst the many festivals where hundreds of thousands of animals are sacrificed in order to appease a certain god or goddess. 

The Dashain festival which occurs every year around the months of September-October gives another reason for the Nepalese people to offer and sacrifice and slaughter innocent animals for the sake of religious beliefs. Although, people of Nepal rely on religion or ancient practices because they have been passed down among generations for centuries, there are other ways in which to practice beliefs or appease gods of whom they worship. 

Ceremonies executed during the Dashing festival include the mass torture and sacrifice of hundreds of thousands buffalos, goats, pigeons, and ducks, which take place in and around Temples throughout Nepal. 

In this day and age, man kind has evolved from such primitive practices involving the sacrifice of animals for the sake of religious purposes, especially when we can use alternative and non lethal forms of offerings.  Using spices, fruits, jewelry, or even clothing in ceremonies could be swapped for animals instead of harming and causing suffering to the beautiful beings who should not take part in the ridding of man kind’s sins. 

As the government of Nepal stepped up and decided to take action against allowing animal transport from India to Nepal during the blood bath also known as the Gadhimai Festival, we expect the same decisions and even more enforcement against the barbaric treatment of animals during the Dashain festival. 

Nepal is known and respected for its traditions passed along generations and even throughout the world. Seeing such inhumane and savage acts displayed upon animals, angers those who see Nepal as a hospitable and honored country and in turn cause them to feel hostility and resentment towards the country. 

People throughout the world would like to see the government justify animals lives to be as important as a human’s life and to treat animals with the rights that they deserve, not to sacrifice and cause them to suffer because you have the power to. 

As one of the billion of the concerned individuals, groups, etc. who are in sheer animosity over annual Dashain Festival in Nepal, I respectfully ask that the government cease and ban the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of animals who have to suffer and die during this and other festivals in Nepal.

No animal should be allowed to suffer and be inflicted so much pain in order to uphold any tradition. Please see that this is the worst account of animal abuse and without a doubt violation of animals rights, and needs to be stopped forever!

Sincerely,