it was a one and a half hour bus ride to the town, a short walk down the valley and then to the shrine itself.
The offering session started off with a ringing of the bells as the head priest lit candles and incense and did his prayers at teh shrine. then all the worshippers were let into the shrine to give offerings (things like coconut, rice, flower garlands, incense, etc...). Some of them had chickens and one guy had a goat to be sacrificed at the altar.
The priests who do the sacrificing are pretty effecient and quick at it. And the process itself, from my viewpoint, was pretty quick and painless and undramatic. chickens are cut on the neck and bled out.
I didn't get a good look at the goat's death but it was really quick, and it included a two stroke decapitation. None of the animals made any noise.
I don't know why I wanted to see this. I guess I have a morbid curiosity. I wasn't too impressed by it.
The theory behind these blood sacrifices is that the humans are actually doing good because the animals are being killed in a holy way which will propel them into a positive rebirth in the next life. In my opinion, killing is still killing. religions are weird.
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