Every five years around November and December, hundreds of thousands to millions of Hindus flock to a temple in southeastern Nepal, next to the country’s border with India, in a tradition that has sparked both reverence and controversy. It’s been dubbed “the world’s bloodiest” festival because of the sheer number of animals slaughtered and offered as sacrifice. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The Gadhimai festival, a quinquennial religious observance dating back more than centuries, sees the killing of thousands of animals—from rats and pigeons to goats and water buffalos—in belief that the mass sacrifice will appease the Hindu goddess Gadhimai, who will in return bring them prosperity.