Travelling to India means also finding cows everywhere…
You notice them walking in the middle of busy roads, sleeping in front of restaurants and shops, mooing near buses.
So, how’s life if you are an Indian cow?
Because if you are an American cow, you already know that if you are lucky you’ll become a gourmet hamburger in a fancy steakhouse… but you could also end up being a small hamburger in a fast food meal!
On the other side, if you are an Indian cow you could aim for something much better.
First of all, the chances you’ll become a meal are really low!
For Hindus (80% of the Indian population) cows are holy, and can not be slaughtered or eaten.
They are calm and harmless animals which have to be respected… they are like pets and you’ll definitely would not eat your pet!
Cows, for Hindus, represent Dharma and it’s a normal habit to “decorate” them with flowers, colours and clothes during festivals.
Another reason why cows are so respected in India, is because with their milk you can produce ghee (clarified butter).
Ghee is used to cook but also for Yajna, one important Hindus ceremony consisting of lighting a flame in front of a god image.
Being a cow in India isn’t all peaches and dandelions…
Instead of green fields, cows graze on the side of chaotic roads generally eating rubbish instead of grass.
To resume, being a cow in India means: spend your life walking around busy streets, maybe “wearing” flowers for some festivals and being considered a pet… Definitely much better than being an American cow! 😊