1.
GV PAN Crowd assembling
0.15

2.
GV More people arriving
0.17

3.
GV PAN AND CU Water buffaloes in pens (2 shots)
0.34

4.
SV AND CU Men with knives (3 shots)
0.42

5.
SV Police beating back crowds
0.54

6.
CU Buffalo slaughtered
0.50

7.
CU Crowd watching
0.54

8.
CU Another buffalo decapitated
1.01

9.
Gv AND CU Buffaloes in pens being slaughtered on masse (4 shots)
1.15

10.
CU Slaughtered animals, and slaughter continuing
1.41

11.
GV AND CU Spectators
1.49

12.
CU Carcasses
1.57



Initials CL/2206 CL/2226


EDITORS NOTE: THIS FILM INCLUDES A NUMBER OF EXPLICIT SLAUGHTERING SCENES, WHICH MIGHT BE CONSIDERED UNSUITABLE FOR SOME AUDIENCES.

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Five hundred thousand people gathered in the Nepalese village of Bariyarpur Garhi, 130 miles (210 km) from Katmandu, on Wednesday 25 December) to witness the traditional religious festival which involves the slaughter of thousands of buffaloes. The festival is held every five years.

The custom began 250 years ago... and in those days a human sacrifice was included.

The sacrifice began with the death of white rat, a pigeon and a goat. The village headman slaughtered five baby buffaloes... and that was the signal for the seventy or so slaughtermen to begin. One report put the buffalo casualty rate as high as 10,000 beasts.

This year's festival lasted a week and ended on 27 December.