Goshala
Goshala , also Gaushala ( Hindi गौशाला ), is a care and feeding station for cattle (mostly cows) in India . Since the end of the 20th century, goshalas have increasingly been established for religious and practical reasons on the outskirts of larger cities for cows , which are considered sacred in Hinduism .
etymology
The Sanskrit word go (or gau ) means "cow", shala means "shelter", "protection". The word for “cow” is also found in gopi (or gopika ), the mythical cowherd women around the god Krishna . Makkhali Gosala (also Mankaliputta Goshala), who according to legend was born in a cowshed, is considered to be the founder of the Ajivika religious community in the 6th or 5th century BC. Chr.
history
Unlike the rural areas of India, where animals had to be looked after, cows (and other animals) in the cities were largely left to their own devices for centuries; they were sometimes fed and regularly milked, but not slaughtered. They found most of their food in the city garbage. Because of their milk and the clarified butter ( ghee ) obtained from it , cows are regarded as sacred and many Hindus equate their meaning with their own mother. Milk and clarified butter are also among the most important offerings in Indian temples. With the arrival of Islam, this system , which had already been propagated in Ashoka's rock dictates, began to falter . With increasing tourism and the increasing westernization of all thinking, the number of cattle ranches and slaughterhouses also grew in India in the second half of the 20th century; In addition, the production of leather - especially for export - also plays an important economic role. Especially from religious circles of the Hindus, Jainas and even the Sikhs there were and still are protests against such practices.
business
In the 1970s, after the cows had been driven out of the major cities of India, mainly due to traffic and dirt, the first sanctuary and feeding stations were founded, which were primarily financed by wealthy private individuals and temple institutions. There are now usually several Goshalas in the vicinity of all major Indian cities. They are visited by many Indians who want to do something for their karma , because touching the head of a cow is considered a blessing; in addition, they can show their children something of an almost lost tradition. The Goshalas are usually financed by donations, but it is not uncommon for the hides of deceased cattle to be sold to tanneries or middlemen. In the vicinity of Vrindavan alone , the city of the god Krishna , who grew up among cow herders, there are supposedly around 200 goshalas.
See also
literature
- Peter Jaeggi: The Sacred Cow - A Little Indian Cultural History. Paulusverlag Friborg / Switzerland 2009, ISBN 978-3-7228-0753-9 .