Gadhimai Mela Animal Sacrifice
by Elena on November 27, 2009
Photo Courtesy: Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP/Courtesy WSJ-All Rights Reserved
Images like this man leaping in the air with a machete swung over his head, are what make photojournalism such an affecting medium. It garners discomfort because the viewer knows that seconds after this picture was taken the man’s machete made its way through the animal’s flesh. The story behind the man and this goat elicits a dichotomy between supporters and critics from people around the world. Each year millions of worshipers in Nepal and neighboring India watch the killing of more than 250,000 animals. This festival is in honor of the Hindu goddess of power Gadhimai, where participants offer sacrifices to her.
The thought of sacrificing thousands of animals for what most Westerners would consider insufficient reasons, can make any person cringe, not just vegetarians and animal activists. My initial reaction was of discomfort, but after reading a post by The Travel Photographer, my initial criticisms were stunted. Is sacrificing 250,000 animals to the goddess Gadhimai any different than sacrificing 45 million turkeys for the tradition of Thanksgiving? Admittedly the semantics of the slaughter is like comparing apples to oranges. One ceremony is in your face with blood staining the streets and carcasses laying lifeless. For anyone outside this culture it is very hard to stomach. The ceremony we celebrate here is more subtle. We kill 45 million turkeys, but it is behind the scenes, nicely hidden before we go to the supermarket to buy Thanksgiving dinner.
Growing up in a household where meat is a constant staple in our diet, has made me desensitized to many images that others might find offensive. On trips to Galicia I have witnessed farm chickens being killed, as well as relished the efforts of pig slaughters in the form of chorizo and blood sausage. Like many other cultures, we use every part of the pig, a tradition passed down from people who were poor and had to use every part of the animal. There is an enormous amount of importance placed upon meals and mealtime as a family. For me this is normal, for a vegetarian, probably not so much.
Globalization has made distinguishing what is ‘right and wrong’ slightly difficult. It is a big world and we certainly don’t agree on everything. I consider myself a tolerant person, however there are certain things that I am staunchly against without question ie female mutilation, honor killing; and other things that I am more ignorant and uncertain about such as covering the female form with hijabs and burkas. So where is the line of understanding and injustice? After looking at the picture above a second time, I still feel uncomfortable, but also because maybe I shouldn’t be judging so quickly.
Related posts:
- Eid al-Adha, The Festival of Sacrifice
- Happy Thanksgiving and Eid Mubarak
- Weekly Photo: Tango in Buenos Aires
- Weekly Photo: Art Student In Buenos Aires
- Machu Picchu Photo Journal
Tagged as:
Festivals,
Nepal,
Photography,
Photojournalism
Weekly Photo: Small Town Galicia
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Gadhimai Mela Animal Sacrifice
by Elena on November 27, 2009
Photo Courtesy: Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP/Courtesy WSJ-All Rights Reserved
Images like this man leaping in the air with a machete swung over his head, are what make photojournalism such an affecting medium. It garners discomfort because the viewer knows that seconds after this picture was taken the man’s machete made its way through the animal’s flesh. The story behind the man and this goat elicits a dichotomy between supporters and critics from people around the world. Each year millions of worshipers in Nepal and neighboring India watch the killing of more than 250,000 animals. This festival is in honor of the Hindu goddess of power Gadhimai, where participants offer sacrifices to her.
The thought of sacrificing thousands of animals for what most Westerners would consider insufficient reasons, can make any person cringe, not just vegetarians and animal activists. My initial reaction was of discomfort, but after reading a post by The Travel Photographer, my initial criticisms were stunted. Is sacrificing 250,000 animals to the goddess Gadhimai any different than sacrificing 45 million turkeys for the tradition of Thanksgiving? Admittedly the semantics of the slaughter is like comparing apples to oranges. One ceremony is in your face with blood staining the streets and carcasses laying lifeless. For anyone outside this culture it is very hard to stomach. The ceremony we celebrate here is more subtle. We kill 45 million turkeys, but it is behind the scenes, nicely hidden before we go to the supermarket to buy Thanksgiving dinner.
Growing up in a household where meat is a constant staple in our diet, has made me desensitized to many images that others might find offensive. On trips to Galicia I have witnessed farm chickens being killed, as well as relished the efforts of pig slaughters in the form of chorizo and blood sausage. Like many other cultures, we use every part of the pig, a tradition passed down from people who were poor and had to use every part of the animal. There is an enormous amount of importance placed upon meals and mealtime as a family. For me this is normal, for a vegetarian, probably not so much.
Globalization has made distinguishing what is ‘right and wrong’ slightly difficult. It is a big world and we certainly don’t agree on everything. I consider myself a tolerant person, however there are certain things that I am staunchly against without question ie female mutilation, honor killing; and other things that I am more ignorant and uncertain about such as covering the female form with hijabs and burkas. So where is the line of understanding and injustice? After looking at the picture above a second time, I still feel uncomfortable, but also because maybe I shouldn’t be judging so quickly.
Related posts:
Tagged as: Festivals, Nepal, Photography, Photojournalism