Posted on: 20 October 2012

The Kôt at Katmandoo during the Dussera - 1856

Watercolour of the Kot at Kathmandu in Nepal, by Henry Ambrose Oldfield (1822-1871), c. 1850-1863. The image is inscribed on the reverse: 'The Kôt at Katmandoo during the Dussera'.

The Durga puja (Dussehra) is the festival commemorating the victory of the godddess Durga over the buffalo-demon Mahisasura and runs for ten days in the beginning of October. The artist, Dr Oldfield, was Residency Surgeon at Kathmandu from 1850-1863 and wrote in 'Sketches from Nipal, Historical and Descriptive...' (1880), "The ninth is the principal day of the festival, and on it the great slaughtering of buffaloes at the headquarters of regiments occurs...In the Kot, where seven regiments are quartered, the number of animals killed is very great...The King and principal Sardars are usually present at the Kot to witness the scene. About one hundred and fifty buffaloes are killed within the quadrangle of the building during the night and early morning. It is a curious sight. the bands are playing, guns firing, and the animals are brought up for slaughter one after another, without any attempt being made to clean the yard or wash away the torrents of blood which are streaming all over the place. The headless carcasses lie about in all directions until they are gradually removed by the different parties to whom they have been assigned." The Kot can be seen in this view as it is situated on the north-west corner of the Darbar (Royal Palace) and was used as the military council-chamber.

Copyright © The British Library Board


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The now extinct royal family got to fully experience directly what the poor buffaloes slaughtered in this ghastly ritual experienced. Not all traditions are worth preserving.

Click like on this link if you want to guarantee your next birth as a buffalo.

Many thanks for sharing on the auspicious occasion. Wishing all a very happy dusshehra .

slautering of animals is not new. its now that so much noise is being made about animals feeliings that we are at last stopping it! good or bad is to be seen day to day.

Though I'm not the supporter of animal killing, just would like to share my 2 cents. Can we call this as the olden day equivalent of modern day 'culling' which is initiated by govt for specific reasons. OR is it another type of population control? but why no one is talking much about the Spanish bull fighting where the animals are put to lot more cruel killing and halal method of killing where the animals are bled to death? And sending a 6 inch drilling bit in the brain of animals before cutting them (method adopted in some of the meat processing facilities in the US) - A ritual is a ritual. we shouldn't be dissecting it too much. Please read my first line again.

BTW, what is the antenna like stuff drawn at the left top of this picture. I don't think there were any wireless communication during 1856 ?!

Sacrifice of animals is not slaughter.

@Worm Instool Buffalos are still sacrificed in India & Nepal on Dussehra.

@ Prabhakaran Srinivasan What you call an antenna is a pigeon perch. Meant for pet pigeons to sit.