Dharamsala, November 21 - The Tibetan Volunteers for Animals have joined other animal activists in seeking the Nepalese government’s intervention into the slaughter of half a million animals during the “Gadhimai” festival held once every five years at Bariyapur in Bara district of southern Nepal.

Animal activists say half a million animals will be sacrificed during the Gadhimai festival by devotees on 24 and 25 November, 2009. Tibetan Volunteers for Animals (TVA) said while respecting the religious sentiments of the devotees TVA is against this mass sacrifice of animals. “We do not intend to hurt the sentiments of the devotees but we believe this is an unnecessary suffering for the innocent lives.”

Billed as the world’s largest animal sacrifice fair, the event is expected to attract thousands of devotees from across the country and several Indian states as well.

According to estimates, nearly 500,000 animals including buffaloes, goats, ducks, roosters and pigeons would be sacrificed at the fair.

Hollywood actress turned animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot and animal rights activist & politician Maneka Gandhi have written to Nepalese government seeking government intervention to stop the massacre. But the Nepalese government is careful not to hurt the religious sentiments of its citizens by banning the practice.

Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche, a Tibetan Lama, has requested students and followers to read the Golden Light Sutra and recite the Padmasambhava prayer for the animals.