Holy Cow!

There are cows everywhere in India, in houses, in alleys, in waterways, in stores, on highways, squares and parks. (You get to meet the COW a lot in our rickshaw races). However, none of the Indians seem to even notice as denoted in the 30 second video below.
The cow play a significant role in Indian culture, here are four reasons why cows are sacred in India.
1. Indians consume milk on a daily basis, and the cow as a provider of milk, is equated to one’s mother (hence the expression Gomäta = mother cow)
2. Traditionally, Indians had cows in every household. They were part of the family, with names and personalities. Just like one would not hurt/eat their pets, the Indians did not hurt the cows and respected them.
3. The cow has a special role in the Hindu mythologies; Kamadhenu is a wish-fulfilling cow. A cow is also depicted as vehicle of several deities.
4. Many social reform movements in India (Jainism, Buddhism, the Bhakti Movement, Gandhi’s non-violent movement) advocated non-violence, and no cruelty to animals. So in India, other animals also (like elephants, mice, monkeys) are considered holy.
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Watch a 30 sec clip at how cows seem to integrate into India’s cities in such a way,
people don’t even notice them.

Via Jonah Kessel