The cow is a female animal that belongs to the bovine family. The cow is considered as the most sacred animal in Hinduism. Hindus do not eat beef (cow meat). Killing a cow is considered as one of the greatest sins. Orthodox Hindus believe that 33 Crore demi-Gods dwell in the body of the cow. The statement is meant to emphasize the importance of conservation of cow. Hindus consider cow as mother. Hence, the cow is also called as Gomata i.e., mother cow.

The cow is considered a very poor-natured animal. It is a symbol of sacredness, purity, motherhood, and earth. The cow is depicted as a favorite animal of many Hindu deities like Lord Krishna, Lord Dattatreya, etc. The bull (Nandi), who belongs to the cow family, is considered as a carrier of Lord Shiva. Vasubaras is celebrated as a festival of the cow on which day the cows and the calves are worshiped. In the old times, the cow was considered as a very valuable asset. A person’s richness depended on how many cows he possessed.

Uses of the Cow:

So much importance given to cow lies in the fact that cow was a very useful animal for human beings in the past times. Its importance still cannot be overlooked. The cow gives us milk from which butter, curd, ghee, and other milk products are made. The milk of the cow is low in fat when compared to the milk of buffalo but is very high in nutrition value. The cow dung is the main source of fire material in the villages in India, which saves a lot of trees from getting burnt. The cow urine has many medicinal properties and is used in many Ayurvedic drugs. The urine of cow is sprinkled in the house to purify the house from negative energy. The urine and cow dung are very good fertilizers for the soil. They are also used to obtain biogas. The bulls which belong to the family of the cow are very useful in the farm work. Farming is the main occupation of many Hindus.

Different Names of the Cow:

Gau, Gaay (pronounced as Guy), Go, Gomata, Kamdhenu, Dhenu.

Some interesting cow facts:

1. The cow is a domestic animal. It has four legs and two horns.

2. It is a carnivorous and vegetarian animal.

3. The binomial name of cow is Bos primigenius.

4. The cow is a very important source of milk and meat for us.

5. The meat of cow is called beef.

6. The cow is a sacred animal for Hindus.

7. The male counterpart of a cow is a bull.

8. Cows can live up to 25 years.

9. The cow is the most important source of milk for human beings. They provide approximately 90% of the world’s milk.