A buffalo's head lies rotting on the ground in the aftermath of the world’s biggest ritual animal slaughter.
Thousands are hacked to death with machetes in front of baying onlookers.
The bloodbath takes place every five years to appease a Hindu goddess at the Gadhimai Temple in Nepal.
Pictures taken by an animal welfare charity show mangled remains of buffalo, goats and poultry in Bariyarpur village, 60 miles south of Kathmandu.
Alokparna Sengupta, of Humane Society International, told us: “Animal after animal had their heads lopped off, butchers hacking away at their necks and the corpses twitching away afterwards.
“As I watched terrified baby buffalo being dragged to their death, I was filled with anger.
"Our team went back to visit the aftermath today and the air was thick with the stench of blood, rotting flesh, animal and human faeces, and garbage.
“In the main temple arena where the majority of buffalo are slaughtered, the ground is littered with the animals’ severed heads, skin and entrails.”
Mums and dads even bring toddlers and children to see the sickening scenes.
“We witnessed parents showing their children the mounds of severed heads of buffalo in the arena,” said Ms Sengupta.
“To normalise such extreme violence for children is very troubling.
“These children are being taught that abusing animals in this way is normal.”
The charity wants animal lovers worldwide to help force the Nepalese government to enforce a ban.
“It is crucial that the scale and the horror of this massacre is seen so that we can bring pressure to bear to end it,” added Ms Sengupta.
Locals believe the tradition dates back 265 years to when a farmer was told in a dream that spilled blood would encourage Gadhimai, Hindu goddess of power, to solve his problems.
Devotees now flock to the temple in the belief it will bring good fortune.
Global outrage sparked an official crackdown, which has led to a steep decline in the number of animals killed but has failed to stamp it out.
Half a million are thought to have been sacrificed in 2009, and 200,000 at the next event in 2014.
This year an estimated 5,000 buffalo, goats and poultry were butchered at last week’s two-day festival.
Volunteers helped officials seize hundreds destined for slaughter at the border, but many more were smuggled to the festival in filthy conditions.
Traditionally the Dalit – India and Nepal’s lower classes – clear the carcasses for meat after the festival.
But this year the temple is believed to have raked in huge profits by selling them to meat buyers. Just 10 per cent of the animals’ remains were given to the caste.
People are being urged to sign a petition opposing the mass slaughter ahead of the next event in 2024.
About 40,000 Brits visit Nepal every year.
About 80 per cent of Nepal’s population of 30 million people are Hindus, and many sacrifice animals to appease deities during festivals.
The charity accuses the temple of going back on a promise made five years ago to ban sacrifices – but bosses deny agreeing to such a move.
Former chairman Ram Chandra Shah said: “Devout Hindus could be requested not to offer animal sacrifice to the goddess but they could not be forced not to do so.”
Birendra Prasad Yadav, of the festival committee, said: “People have faith in the tradition and have come here with their offerings”.
Sign the charity’s petition at action.hsi.org/page/51964/action .
