Kathmandu - At least two children died of suffocation Tuesday as hundreds of thousands of devotees gathered in southern Nepal for a controversial religious gathering involving large scale animal sacrifice, media reports said. Nearly half a million people from Nepal and India are expected to attend the Hindu festival of Gadhimai at Bariyapur, about 80 kilometres south of the Nepalese capital.
Kantipur Television reported two Indian children died of suffocation as crowds gathered to witness animal sacrifices and pay homage to Gadhimai, considered to have powers to fulfil wishes.
The festival began Tuesday morning with the sacrifices of five animals at the Gadhimai temple.
Estimates said about 250,000 animals and birds, including buffaloes and goats, are expected to be slaughtered for the goddess of power in the belief that the act will fulfil wishes of devotees.
The Samacharpatra newspaper reported that a single pilgrim had brought 105 buffaloes for sacrifice after his wishes were fulfilled.
Indian national Ram Thakur Humihar from the state of Bihar was sacrificing the animals because of the promise he made to the goddess.
Humihar had made the promise several years ago when his wife was unable to conceive and the couple now have children. The festival has attracted widespread criticism from within and outside Nepal for the large-scale animal sacrifice.
A small group of animal rights activists gathered outside the temple area to protest the killings, saying they were unnecessary.
They said they hoped to raise awareness about cruelty to animals.
There were fears that the protests could lead to clashes but the festival has so far been peaceful. The festival is due to continue for two more days.
