Holy Cow!

Before coming to India, I knew cows were sacred, and that they were often found wandering around the neighborhood. But it didn’t prepare me for what it’s like to see cows all over even the busiest cities, meandering through traffic of even the largest cities in India. It’s something you have to see to believe! If you’re a cow in India and you feel like laying down in the middle of a busy intersection, no problem! Cars, rickshaws, bikes and pedestrians will gladly tangle themselves into tons of traffic without a second thought. If a cow in India and you feel like entering a shop to cool off, go for it! The people will probably even feed you!

While the cows don’t help the efficiency in the overcrowded cities we’ve been to, their majestic presence and slow gait does have a calming effect on the craziness of Indian city life. That is, in all but one of the cases we’ve seen…..

We spent two days in Varanasi, one of the most holy cities in India and home to the Ganges River, a famous pilgrimage for Hindus. We were being lead through the narrow streets of the old town by our guide during our first night in town. The lanes are so narrow, that if you stand in the middle, you can stretch your arms out and touch the shop doors on both sides. As we made our way though the tiny streets, we heard a thunder of hooves. Looking ahead, we saw three spooked cows racing towards us. We were able to duck into doorways just in time, but one of the poor old pilgrims wasn’t so lucky and got a bit of a trampling. It’s been our closest near death experience yet, but we figure if we have to go, it might as well be in the most sacred place in India at the hands of the most sacred animal!