The eighth day of Dashai festival – the Mahashtami – is being observed today throughout the country.

Tens of thousands of Hindu devotee throng temples of Goddess Durga on this day and some of them sacrifice animals such as goats and chicken as offering to the Goddess.

This is the day when many devotees observe a feast of meat and other choicest delicacies. The night between the eighth and the ninth day of Dashain is also observed as Kaal Ratri (Dark Night) when hundreds of animals are sacrificed in Dashain ghar in Hanumandhoka.

In recent years, however, animal rights activists have been increasingly advocating for violence-free Dashain. They have been publicly campaigning for either vegetarianism or, at least, making sure that the animals do not suffer when they are killed. They claim that most of the time animals are mercilessly killed by slitting their throat.