The ' World Family Day ' is a moment to celebrate our time with the family. Covid 19 had made it ' family time ' for all. Families spent time with each other at home and ruminated for weeks on. However the ' going out ' activity just disappeared. It was simply not possible and people wanted to be careful. Many locked themselves down at home. The relaxation of the lockdown prompted a number of people to go out and see things. Of course sanitizers, social distancing and namastes have became the order of the day. The bearhug is restricted the stock market !
The 'World Family Day' is a moment to celebrate our time with the family. Covid 19 had made it ' family time ' for all. Families spent time with each other at home and ruminated for weeks on. However the ' going out ' activity just disappeared. It was simply not possible and people wanted to be careful. Many locked themselves down at home. The relaxation of the lockdown prompted a number of people to go out and see things. Of course sanitizers, social distancing and namastes have became the order of the day. The bearhug is restricted the stock market !
People have begun to like ' safe food ' for it helps in boosting the immune system. ' Slow food ' is also considered to be safe globally. Some of my friends wanted to get desi ghee, wheat bread without maida or bakery yeast, milk from native cows, organic food, clothes made from organically grown cotton and what not. Each done did their own searches and the outcome was fantastic. Coimbatore is really lucky to have so many activities which focus on ' oneness with nature '.
The quest for desi ghee took me to A.G.Venkatesh (9443063136) and his friends. They manage the Shri Gokulam Goshala at Nanjundapuram. This goshala has about 74 bulls, cows and calves. Some are milk yielding while some of them are retired cows. All are desi or native. We can see volunteers actively taking part in the cow care activities. Financial contributions and service are accepted by these people. They have registered the ' Shri Govardhan Trust ' for the purpose. He suggested that I visit Kalipalayam near Veerapandi and get desi ghee from the committed cowherd Harivardhanan (9894486557).
I was reminded of the Zero Budget Farming (ZBF) specialist Subhash Palekar and his seminar at Coimbatore about 10 years ago. Siruthuli facilitated a 4 day exercise for about 2500 farmers and Padmashri awardee Subhash Palekar spoke at length about Zero Budget Farming. The programme was a big hit and many farmers turned towards natural farming. He spoke about the benefits of the desi cow. The urine, dung etc., were meant for the farm and the yield was the healthiest possible. Subhash Palekar stated that the desi varieties were the best in every sense. The milk was healthy in the desi variety.
Our old epics and puranas veer around cows. Gokulam and its cows, the cows that were considered to be part of our wealth. River, city, village, forest and hill societies existed side by side in our country. "Our elders understood the benefits of our native cows and they revere them. All the deities reside in the cow. They give us enormous benefits. We will gain joy and can experience peace of mind in the company of cows. It is a divine experience. Even God was a cowherd and his times at Gokulam and Vrindavanam are cherished even now. Apart from all this, the cow can help us to revive safe food production. This will help us to boost our immunity. The cow is the backbone of our agrarian economy," stated A.G.Venkatesh.
Kalipalayam is located near Veerapandi and can be accessed from Mettupalayam Road. Harivardhanan's facility is located near the Komali Arangan Temple. "About 150 years ago one Komali Naidu lived in this village. He was very fond of cows and he used to play the flute in the company of his cows. Komali Naidu was also known as Komali Naicker and he used to cure sick cattle with the aid of herbs. This made him very popular. He passed away and people have erected a memorial with a statue on it. Cattle rearers come here to seek the blessings of Komali Arangan in order to get them cured of disease. They consider him to be an aspect of divinity," stated Harivardhanan. His wife Kausalya, kids Dakshin and the toddler Nehan are fully content with this kind of life.
Harivardhanan (Hari) milks the cows, clears the urine and dung, washes the cows and their dwellings. He goes around selling this native cow milk. His wife and older son help him. He has some fowl and ducks in the same place. They help in keeping the place clean. Hari is a vegetarian and is happy with this kind of life. Hard working Kausalya helps in the making of ghee. The ghee costs about Rs.3000 per litre. "We boil the milk, curdle it and then use a churner to get the butter out. The butter is made into ghee by boiling it again. We need about 30 litres of milk to make one litre of butter. Our desi cow milk costs Rs.120 per litre. That is the reason for this pricing," smiled Hari.
Nine year old Dakshin can be seen playing with the cows. He goes around by calling out with the sound buck buck buck while feeding the fowl and ducks. The cow is his play mate and he gets tickled by tongue of the cow while it licks his sole. A few dogs keep them company. Hari and family do all the work. "I am really fortunate to do this work. One has to be lucky to be with nature. These cows are our family," stated Hari.
"My sons are in perfect harmony here. We do not have a television at home. Our needs are simple and this lifestyle is our entertainment. We let the cows out to play and its a pleasure to see them run around in the ground. My husband got this Gir cow sometime ago. it was meant to be slaughtered. Now this 12 year old is happy in our company," said Kausalya. She loves to be with nature. Tharparkar and Gir are the breeds here. They do not yield much but the milk is good for health. This farm sells panneer too and it is quite tasty.
Harivardhanan takes good care of the medical needs too. One of the cows had worms in its ears and Hari got them out fully. There were more than 100 worms ! He calls them out lovingly. The cows are family for the cowherd Harivardhanan & family. Cows are their company. Nothing else seem to lure them.
"The ghee from the native cow is good of health. A drop of desi ghee helps one to get rid on sinus issues while also guaranteeing good sleep. The older the ghee, the better is the effect. We talk about aging of alcohol and the premium for that kind of stuff. We can let our desi ghee age and it deserves better premium. I remember the days when my mother used to make ghee from butter. We used to wait for betel leaves that used to fried towards the time when ghee would be ready. The left over in the bottom of the vessel would be scraped and given with powdered jaggery. Oh, it would be very yummy and we loved it," added A.G.Venkatesh while talking about the desi cows and their benefits. Harivardhanan's life style seemed to second his words.
The Kongu country and particularly Coimbatore has been famous for its cattle rearing activities. Rains were scare and lots of the lands were rain fed. Farmers used to rear cattle in order to supplement their income. Life was tough but they survived. Wealth was measured based on the heads of cattle owned by a family.
Harivardhanan considers himself to be fortunate and does not carry a halo around him. He is practical and offers logical reasons backed with scientific facts. Harivardhanan is keen to share his joy by welcoming people to his farm. His farm is his Goloka and cow care offers him complete bliss.