Mantras to fix gender of calves in cow sanctuary

BHOPAL: Sex determination among bovines can be quite the religious affair. Inmates of the Kamdhenu Gau Abhyaranya – the country’s first cow sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh – will be subjected specific vedic chants for months after they conceive, enabling them to bear healthy offsprings of the desired gender.

This revelation was made by state Gau Samvardhan Board chairperson Swami Akhileshwaranand Giri, while he was elaborating on the experiments pertaining to gender-specific vedic mantras likely to be conducted at the new cow sanctuary in Agar Malwa district. Addressing a press meet after inducting hundreds of bovines into the sanctuary on Wednesday, he said: “Experiments on cows with vedic mantras are already being conducted in Karnataka. The recitation of these chants generates energy in cows, just like it does in us. We will begin playing them immediately after the cow conceives, and continue for another nine months.”

Swami Akhileshwaranand said there are two types of vedic suktas – pursu sukta and shri sukta. “Cows that are made to listen to shri suktas for nine months give birth to bachhdis (female calves) while those exposed to pursu suktas for that long give birth to bachhdas (male calves). We will conduct experiments in this regard ...” he said.

The cow sanctuary will also double as a centre of research on Indian cattle breeds, said the board chairperson. “We are in the process of collecting research papers on bovines from various sources. We will do everything possible to improve the condition of our cows.”

According to Swami Akhileshwaranand, the cow sanctuary administration will try to emulate a modern cattle management system developed at the 35-square-mile Al Safi Dairy farm in Saudi Arabia. “There is a place called Al Kharj, located nearly 100 km from Riyadh. It houses a big gaushala with around 36,000 heads of cattle. Its attendants are trained and certified before being put to work there,” he said, adding that Al Safi officials have become adept at managing various cattle-re- lated tasks – including procuring drinking water for the bovines and proper utilisation of dung and urine – in the middle of the desert.

“It is very hot there, and the temperature reaches 46 degrees Celsius. Al Safi authorities have set up computerised curtains that move in accordance with the direction of the sunlight, and that helps cows to cool off. Water is continuously sprinkled on these curtains. When the cows lose the ability to generate milk, they are not slaughtered. They are simply moved to a separate ward, where they live in comfort,” Swami Akhileshwaranand said.

Dr Praveen Shinde, assistant director of the board, said around 5,000 bovines – 4,000 cows and 1,000 bulls – were brought into the sanctuary a fortnight ago.

“This shelter is located on 472 hectares of revenue land, not forest land, and there are no wild animals other than 50 Nilgais in the area. We have issued strict instructions that they are not to be prevented from entering the sanctuary,” he added.

He said the sanctuary has 24 cowsheds, capable of housing 250 heads of cattle each.

The establishment also boasts of equipment for distilling cow urine and manufacturing dungbased Ayurvedic medicines, cosmetic products, pesticides and bio-fertilisers in a first-of-itskind initiative by the state government.

The medicines will be primarily made through Panchagavya, a concoction prepared by mixing five bovine-related products (cow dung, urine, milk, curd and ghee).

“We will focus on breeding cattle and producing cow urinebased fertilisers ...” said Swami Akhileshwaranand.