Up to four million Nepalese and Indian devotees on Tuesday thronged the famous Gadhimai temple to witness a slaughter of thousands of animals in a mass-sacrifice even as two Indian minor worshippers died of cold. Tens of thousands of buffaloes, goats and birds would be slaughtered over the next few days as part of a ritual sacrifice, dating back hundreds of years, which has drawn widespread international condemnation and outrage. But despite appeals to outlaw the ritual joined in even by Hollywood stars, the organisers of the festival have remained unmoved and are going ahead with the public slaughter. For the ritual, according to organisers 22,600 buffaloes, goats and birds have been brought and about six truckloads of pigeons have also arrived.