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When is an animal not an animal?

  • The cow – a holy animal

    © Tonya86/dreamstime

    Photo of a statue of a cow (a holy animal in India)

  • The monkey – a holy animal

    © Natalia Davidovich/Shutterstock

    Photo of a monkey (a holy animal in India)

  • The holy cobra

    © Chilli Productions/Shutterstock

    Photo of a snake (a holy animal in India)

  • The elephant – a holy animal

    © cocozero/Shutterstock

    Photo of a statue of an elephant (a holy animal in India)

  • The Royal Bengal Tiger – a holy animal

    © neelsky/Shutterstock

    Photo of a tiger (a holy animal in India)

When is an animal not an animal?

When is an animal not an animal?

There are over 45 million cows in India. You see them everywhere, not just on farms, but also on street corners in every city. Cows in India are sacred. What does that mean exactly? For Hindus the cow is a symbol of all of nature. They are respected for their gentleness and strength. Hindus believe that cows give more than they take from life. They eat only grass, yet provide milk for their young and for humans, and dung which can be used as fertilizer. This is why you must never kill or eat a cow.

Hindus believe that by honouring cows, you honour all of nature. Cow’s milk and a special butter called ghee are therefore used in religious ceremonies. Sacred animals like cows or elephants are also decorated for festivals that are held each year in India. At the Gopashtama festival people put garlands around the necks of cows and they’re given special food. There are even organisations in India which look after old and sick cows, but many just live on the street until they die a natural death.

So when is an animal not an animal? When it’s a religious symbol.

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