Depukhu (original) (raw)

Depukhu (Nepali: द्यःपुखू), also De pukhu or Dyo pukhu in Newar language, Deopokhari festival in English, and Deopokhari jatra in Nepali, is a festival celebrated in August each year by the Newar community of Khokana in central Nepal. It involves the ritual sacrifice of a virgin she-goat (often a kid) in the Deopokhari pond which is situated in the premises of in Khokana, in a process described as inhumane and barbaric 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.