Depukhu

Depukhu (Nepali: द्यःपुखू), also De pukhu or Dyo pukhu in Newar language, Deopokhari festival in English,^[1] and Deopokhari jatra in Nepali,^[2] is a festival celebrated in August each year by the Newar community of Khokana in central Nepal.^[1] It involves the ritual sacrifice of a virgin she-goat (often a kid) in the Deopokhari pond which is situated in the premises of Rudrayani temple in Khokana,^[2][3] in a process described as inhumane and barbaric^[1] by animal rights activists. Once taken as a matter of cultural pride, international outcry and criticism has led the locals to attempt to reform the festival in recent years.

Background and introduction[edit]

The tradition of the festival is believed to have begun around the 12th century.^[2][4] According to folklore, as the number of deaths by slipping and falling into the pond rose, the belief that an angry supernatural being inhabited the pond began to take hold.^[2] Consequently, the festival begun with sacrifices of a virgin she-goat once a year to the demon^[5] or angry god^[2] that resides in the pond, so that people using the pond are spared for the rest of the year.^[2] The festival is celebrated annually the day after Gaijatra, which is mid-August, by the Newar community in and around the ancient village of Khokana in Lalitpur District.^[6]

Goat sacrifice ritual[edit]

While a huge crowd gathers around the pond and on rooftops to watch the ritual,^[3][7] a young man jumps into the pond with a live young female goat on his shoulders.^[1][6] While he attempts to drown the goat, other young men from various communities in and around Khokana join him.^[1][6] They work together to prevent the goat from escaping.^[8] While the group tries to drown the goat,^[3] the youths also bite her with their teeth, and attempt to rip her apart with their bare hands.^[1][9] The goat is reported to struggle for as long as forty minutes before she dies. Once the goat is dead, a competition ensues for the possession of the carcass.^[3] Youths from different communities struggle to win it for their community,^[6][7] which earns them the privilege of leading the religious procession that follows.^[4] The struggle and tug-of-war for the possession of the carcass is reported to last as long as 90 minutes.^[2] The youths that win lead a procession out of the pond, concluding the ritual sacrifice.

Controversy[edit]

In recent years, animal rights activists have opposed the festival for causing unnecessary suffering to an innocent animal, calling it barbaric and inhumane.^[1][3][6] The organising committee has repeatedly appealed not to bring the festival into controversy as it is a very old tradition and a part of the local community's cultural heritage.^[3][6] Some in the community have advocated continuing the festival in its traditional form, terming it "Khokana's pride"^[2] while others have advocated change arguing that the festival had tarnished Khokana's reputation at the world stage.^[2]

Attempted reforms[edit]

Some years before 2013, an attempt was reportedly made to replace goat sacrifice with a symbolic sacrifice of a pumpkin brought from Rudrayani temple, but it had minimal impact as the tradition continued unchanged.^[2]

Setopati reported that, in 2017, the sacrifice ritual was different from years before. While the kid was still drowned by a group of youths, there was no additional violence done upon her before or after her death.^[9]

See also[edit]

• Gadhimai festival
• Dashain
• Yulin dog meat festival
• Speciesism

References[edit]