Hyderabad: A long queue
of people at the break of dawn outside a goshala (cowshed) with jars in
their hands may seem mundane considering the daily requirement of milk
in families here. But a quick look into one of the jars of the people
leaving the place reveals that there is something unusual. The container
is actually filled with not milk but urine.
Not a delayed April Fool’s Day prank, as every morning, the 400-year-old goshala in Puranapul has about 100 people queuing up with containers and glasses hoping to fill it with their daily quota of cow urine, which they believe contains curative powers. Of late, there is a huge surge in demand for cow urine as evidenced by long queues at many of the 30-odd goshalas in the city and its outskirts.
“Half a decade back, there were hardly anybody interested in taking cow urine from our cowshed which is quite a contrast from today’s scenario,” said Purushottam Gupta of Samarth Kamadhenu Ghoshala in Puranapul, which has about 2000 cows.
“In the early morning as well as evenings after sunset, people flock here to collect cow urine. Some even fill it in large jars as they take it for their family and friends. Since we do not do business and encourage people to have it, we do not charge anything,” Gupta said.
With medicinal plants, vegetables and fruits making their way into shampoos and face washes too, the renewed belief in nature cure for ailments has caught denizens’ fancy and cow urine seems to be the new ‘penicillin’ of sorts. The curative properties of cow urine has been propagated by the traditional medicine system Ayurveda since time immemorial.
However, the recent popularity of it is being attributed to the spiritual leaders, religious heads as well as Ayurveda gurus, who are promoting it as a cure for many ailments and diseases.
“Cow urine contains large amounts of sulphur, proteins and other nutrients. This is a rare combination and since this is in a liquid form, it injects and mixes with blood stream quickly and gives desired results,” said N Satya Prasad, former principal, BRKR Government Ayurveda College.
According to him, cow urine is useful in treating brain diseases, diabetes, cancers, skin infections and arthritis and since these ailments are common in the city, its intake has increased.
The demand for cow urine has also given rise to a successful
small scale business model as about 12 units have sprung up in the city manufacturing distilled cow urine (Gau-arka) which can be stored and consumed for a year. This packaged product is sold for anywhere between Rs 50 and Rs 70 for half a litre.
“When we started a decade ago, the sales were very dull during the first three years,” said G Gangadhar of Maharshi Valmiki Yoga Anusanandha Samstha near Gandipet. “We now supply about 300 half litre bottles to ayurveda shops and clients every month. The demand is growing and we are buying another machine to increase the output.” The Ayurveda shops selling these bottled cow products say that in the last couple of years, the increase in sales has been more than 200%.
“We are selling close to 25 bottles everyday and it is surprising the way people are opting for this drink. Right from youngsters to working professionals, our customer base is wide,” said NN Kalyani, store owner of Patanjali Chikitsalaya in Tarnaka.
Not a delayed April Fool’s Day prank, as every morning, the 400-year-old goshala in Puranapul has about 100 people queuing up with containers and glasses hoping to fill it with their daily quota of cow urine, which they believe contains curative powers. Of late, there is a huge surge in demand for cow urine as evidenced by long queues at many of the 30-odd goshalas in the city and its outskirts.
“Half a decade back, there were hardly anybody interested in taking cow urine from our cowshed which is quite a contrast from today’s scenario,” said Purushottam Gupta of Samarth Kamadhenu Ghoshala in Puranapul, which has about 2000 cows.
“In the early morning as well as evenings after sunset, people flock here to collect cow urine. Some even fill it in large jars as they take it for their family and friends. Since we do not do business and encourage people to have it, we do not charge anything,” Gupta said.
With medicinal plants, vegetables and fruits making their way into shampoos and face washes too, the renewed belief in nature cure for ailments has caught denizens’ fancy and cow urine seems to be the new ‘penicillin’ of sorts. The curative properties of cow urine has been propagated by the traditional medicine system Ayurveda since time immemorial.
However, the recent popularity of it is being attributed to the spiritual leaders, religious heads as well as Ayurveda gurus, who are promoting it as a cure for many ailments and diseases.
“Cow urine contains large amounts of sulphur, proteins and other nutrients. This is a rare combination and since this is in a liquid form, it injects and mixes with blood stream quickly and gives desired results,” said N Satya Prasad, former principal, BRKR Government Ayurveda College.
According to him, cow urine is useful in treating brain diseases, diabetes, cancers, skin infections and arthritis and since these ailments are common in the city, its intake has increased.
The demand for cow urine has also given rise to a successful
small scale business model as about 12 units have sprung up in the city manufacturing distilled cow urine (Gau-arka) which can be stored and consumed for a year. This packaged product is sold for anywhere between Rs 50 and Rs 70 for half a litre.
“When we started a decade ago, the sales were very dull during the first three years,” said G Gangadhar of Maharshi Valmiki Yoga Anusanandha Samstha near Gandipet. “We now supply about 300 half litre bottles to ayurveda shops and clients every month. The demand is growing and we are buying another machine to increase the output.” The Ayurveda shops selling these bottled cow products say that in the last couple of years, the increase in sales has been more than 200%.
“We are selling close to 25 bottles everyday and it is surprising the way people are opting for this drink. Right from youngsters to working professionals, our customer base is wide,” said NN Kalyani, store owner of Patanjali Chikitsalaya in Tarnaka.
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