Cow Urine To Bathe & Cow Dung As Sunscreen: This Tribe Loves Their Cows, Prized Upto Rs 41,000 Each
It isn't just Hindus who consider the cow to be sacred. Interestingly, there is a tribe in South Sudan which bathes with cow urine and applies cow dung as sunscreen because they view cows as sacred beings, similar to gods.?
Bodily fluids of cattle used for brushing & bathing
The prized cows in South Sudan belong to the Ankole Watushi breed. These cows can grow up to eight feet tall and are valued at upto Rs 41,000 each. For the tribesmen, their cows are their most cherished possession.
Their belief in the sacredness of cows is so strong that they squat under streams of cow urine, which has turned their hair orange due to the presence of ammonia.?
The dung of these cows is piled high and burned, and the resulting ashes are used as sunscreen by the tribal people to protect themselves from the scorching heat, as reported by CNN.
Other bodily fluids of Ankole Watushi cattle are also used for bathing and brushing by these herdsmen.?
Additionally, when the cows sleep, members of the tribe stand guard with machine guns to ensure their safety from potential theft or harm.
Status symbol
In addition to their cultural importance, these Ankole Watushi cattle serve as status symbols within the tribe. Due to their high value, they are rarely slaughtered for meat but are instead exchanged as gifts or dowries among tribe members.?
Photographer Tariq Zaidi has captured the lives and devotion of South Sudan's Mundari tribe towards these animals. In his report, he emphasises the significance of cattle to the Mundari people, stating that these animals are essential to their way of life.
This reverence for cows echoes the sentiments found in Hinduism, where cows are also considered sacred symbols of divine benevolence.?
In India, people have respected cows since ancient times, and this reverence has become an important part of religious customs and cultural identity since around the 4th century BCE.
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