Which religion thinks cows are sacred

This is considered to be particularly impure and soiled as, for example, it has been touched or come into contact with saliva. Mahias, Marie-Claude, Le barattage du monde. Home The sacred cow. The sacred cow Hinduism favours a vegetarian diet and protects the cow as a sacred animal and source of prosperity.

The cow, a revered animal in Hinduism In the Hindu religion, the cow has acquired a sacred status. Products which come from the sacred cow As the cow is a sacred animal for Hindus, all products derived from it are highly valued. The pig: an impure animal Like beef, pork is also forbidden in Hinduism. Assouly, Olivier, Les nourritures terrestres. France : Actes Sud. Quien, Aleandra, Dans les cuisines de Bombay. More on this topic.

Another is that they dangerously snarl traffic. But the cow is very much around and many soon become our new national animal. To solve the problem, Debroy offered one tongue-in-cheek solution. Only genuine Delhi cows should be eligible for social security and other benefits. City officials, meanwhile, have adopted a different approach: the cow catchers. Under pressure to reduce cow populations, Delhi has hired nearly of the urban cowboys, who are charged with catching and shipping cows outside the city limits, sometimes to special reserves where the animals are cared for.

And it can be downright dangerous. This is the day for honoring cattle and every household is parading its bemused bovine population: horns painted, necks garlanded, bells tinkling. The Hindu reverence of cattle—particularly the cow—is well-known. Census data shows that nearly 80 percent of India's 1. The export numbers don't match up , and it's suspected that cow meat is being snuck out. Export began in the s and grew significantly in the last decade.

Today, India exports to 65 countries where its beef competes with meat from all over the world. Jha's research offers copious evidence that ancient Hindu kings regularly sacrificed and ate animals including cattle. Cattle, even cow, meat was not sacred during the Vedic period B. Around A. Cattle, cows, and bulls, became invaluable for small-scale farming that, even today, is the heart of Indian rural life.

This coincided with a time when Hindus were beginning to reject animal killing and gravitate towards vegetarianism. Cattle became not only a sign of wealth, but also sacred. Interestingly, the buffalo never achieved this revered status.

To Hindus, the cow is now worshipped as Gaumata mother cow because it provides milk to everyone. It symbolizes selfless giving. There are about 3, Gaushalas cow shelters in India where old and infirm cows are looked after.