Religious leaders and activists are up in arms at what they call the ritual slaughter of hundreds of animals at a temple where Hindus and Buddhists often worship together.

Hindu devotees sacrificed some 300 goats and hundreds more chickens on Aug. 25 at the popular Sri Badrakali Amman Kovil temple in Munneswaram, a farming village some 75 kilometers north of Colombo.

Many parents had taken their children to the temple to receive blessings and witnessed the slaughter, they said.

An appeal by monks to police and local authorities to end the killing fell on deaf ears, they said.

Demonstrators then attempted to march on the temple, but were stopped by police blocking the road.

“We urged the authorities to stop the illegal slaughter,” said Venerable Haddigalle Wimalasara Thero.

“Buddhist-Hindu co –existence has been firm for years and Hindu culture doesn’t accept this slaughter of animals,” he said.

It seems there’s been an underground business going on for some time where animals are sold to devotees for sacrifice at the temple, he said.

Many of the dead animals were later eaten at a large feast.

“Not only does Hindu culture condemn such slaughter of animals, our religion also rejects eating the meat,” All Ceylon Hindu Congress leader Viswanathar Kailasapillai told ucanews.com.

Catholics from neighboring villages were criticized for attending the feast.

They said they didn’t want to cause offense by turning down an invitation to the feast.

“They attended as a gesture of respect and co-existence,” said Oblate Father Jayanthan Pachchek. “But they are not expected to eat anything offered to any other deity,” he said.

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