The Hindu religion is interesting and it does mention the cow as one of the most sacred animals on earth. Cow is considered as the mother. We will now discuss more about the sacred Hindu animal – Cow. Not only in Hinduism as well as in Jainism and Buddhism the cow is considered to be sacred and very powerful. Infact the purity and innocence of the cow can be gauged from the fact that it is called as the Gaumaata or Cow – The Mother.
If we look at the Vedas they too mention that the cow must be worshipped. It mentions that if a cow is donated it can bring in a lot of blessings. Especially when the cow is given to a Brahmin it is considered to be a very good sign. Also the cow is a representation of mother earth. In one perspective because we all depene on her milk ( nature) to exist, and in another because of a vedic past time where the presiding deity of the earth, Bhumi once took the form of a cow to go and report certain demonic turmoils ongoing within her, to Lord Vishnu.
In the ancient temples you will find a lot of sculpture of the cow. Mostly white and brown cow is mentioned in most of the religious books. The practical implication can be the fact that cow gives us milk. It gives us cow dung that can be used as fertilizers. The milk is used to make cream, ghee and other dairy products which are all good for our health.
As cow gives us all these things it can be considered as very important for life. The Upanishads mention that as the mother nourishes her children with milk the cow nourishes the normal humans with her milk. This is exactly why she is called the mother.
The cow has been worshipped in India for ages. Feeding the cow on special pujas is considered auspicious. If the cow is not fed the puja is considered to be incomplete. The cow is decorated with colourful clothes and jewellery. Most of the rural houses have at least one cow. These cows are kept well as family. They are fed and also nourished with a lot of care. The cow is given bath and it is ensured that they are kept well. It is believed that if the cow is tortured then the whole family and even the village can be cursed. On special occasions Aarti of the cow is done like that of the gods. The cow is fed and given rest on these days.
Cow is generally a calm animal and can be domesticated easily. This is exactly why it can be found in almost all the rural homes. The cows are allowed to enter the temples. No one scolds them or raises their voice against them. They are treated with a lot of love and respect. This can be seen in Dwarka temple
Dwarka is a dham and is considered as one of the most powerful temple towns in India.
When there was war between India and Pakistan a lot of shells were fired at the temple however none of these shells were able to harm the temple. This was because the shells did not burst at all. Lord Krishna used to live in Dwarka as it was his capital. He is considered to be the avatar of Lord Narayan.
Krishna was very fond of butter and He used to steal it and could go to any extent to get butter. Cow was his favourite animal. You will see a lot of pictures of lord Krishna with cow.
It is said that lord Krishna is present in the cows that we see. He is "Govinda"-- well wisher of cows and appears to always stand by a cow holding a flute in hand. This is another reason why cow is considered to be very sacred by the Hindus.
Many Hindus are non vegetarians. They eat fish, chicken, egg and even mutton. However, you will never find a Hindu who will eat a cow. This is because eating cow is like a huge sin for the Hindus.
The bull is also considered as very sacred in the Hindu religion. The Bull is associated with Lord Shiva. It is said that when you say something into the ears of the bull it is communicated to the lord himself. Almost in all temples you will find the idol of a bull. You will also see people whispering their wishes into the ears of the bull. Next time you see a bull in the temple you will know exactly what you should do.
Pic 1 --- Lord Shiva riding his bull vehicle
Pic 2 ---- Lord Krishna ( Govinda) with a cow
Pic 3 --- A cow puja ( worship) perfomred
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