About Us
The primary activity of the Periyar Gaushala Foundation is to promote the humane care of cows by providing knowledge and practical support for their compassionate care as per the following principles:
- Cows are allowed to live out their full span of life
- They are nurtured, respected and treated with kindness
- Young calves are allowed to stay with their mothers and nurse from them for at least 4-6 months
- Cows enjoy organic fodder and are allowed to graze freely on pasture
Purpose
To preserve the Indian indigenous cows and to enrich the Indian breed.
Vision
To build shelters for 10,000 cows that are homeless and non-milking & create awareness to everyone that cows can be given their due respect till the end.
Mission
Our mission is to protect Indian cows and allow them to live out their full span of life with respect and kindness.
Impact We Want To Create
Change the mindset of society towards cows and imbibe that Cows are a symbol of abundance & sanctity of life across all cultures, faiths and religions.
Meet the Visionary
Dr. Shrikant Bhasi
India was previously home to 72 species of indigenous cows. After independence we lost over 65% of them. All that remain are 26 species. The rest are either hybrid or cross breed. Dr. Shrikant Bhasi is on a mission to preserve the native species and protect them from becoming extinct.
Our founder Shri Shrikant Bhasi has decided to put in all his efforts to revive Bharat’s Gau Sanskriti. Under Shrikantji’s leadership, the Gaushalas are getting shaped to go much beyond being a center of excellence in Gaupalan, and in introducing new practices in organic farming.
Our Certifications
Plans & Programs
Supporting the Lives of Cows
We are seeking your help to support the lives of cows; we will be utilising every avenue of communication available including:
- • Making presentations to individuals and groups
- • Using the internet and social media
- • Writing articles to spread our mission and involving everyone
Creating Educational Materials
We are creating educational materials to support farmers in applying the new/ancient paradigm of sustainable cow care. Knowledge and expertise will be provided to help farmers become more self-sufficient by applying the research on sustainable cow care. This initiative is being conducted by Carnival Skill Foundation.
Developing Cow Sanctuaries
We are introducing a new concept of Cow Sanctuaries; sanctuaries will be created as needed to fulfill the goal of allowing cows to live out their full span of life with dignity and respect. Land and funds will be gratefully received by the foundation for this noble purpose.
Traditional Gaupalan
Non-exploitative relationship
We never “get rid” of older non-lactating Gaumata’s or male calves. We never compromise on the quality or quantity of food and water offered to each Gaumata irrespective of the amount of milk that She produces. Our practices are in accordance with nature. We never employ artificial insemination or synthetic hormone treatment for breeding or to increase milk production.
Ahinsak
We adhere to “dohan”, the practice of ancient Bharat, wherein the calf is free to feed to his or her satisfaction from two anchals, and the remaining two are used to obtain milk for other living beings including humans.
Harnessing Ayurveda
Various Ayurvedic herbs of rich medicinal value are added to Gaumata’s feed based on weather and season to enhance Her health and vitality. As far as possible, sick Gaumatas are treated using the Bharatiya Ayurvedic system, and modern medicine is employed very occasionally.
Organic Feeding
We offer only organic feed grown at our farm to all our Gaumatas.
Vedic Rituals and Music
The Gaushala undertake daily Vedic havans (sacrificial fire rituals) to maintain the sanctity of its divine atmosphere. Devotional music and Sanskrit chants are also played in the background every day, which helps to keep the Gaumatas happy and healthy.
Organic Farming
Our country and the world spend billions of dollars each year after synthetic fertilizer and pesticide subsidies. This introduces toxic chemicals in the food chain driving health imbalances and further spending on public health. We believe there is an urgent need to develop natural methods to improve farm production.
Research indicates that a probiotic combination of buttermilk, Gaumutra (Gaumata urine) and water give faster results than urea, and it improves plant immunity and growth. Gaumaya (Gaumata dung) based compost fertilizer can further drive up farm productivity and sustainable organic farming. In the Vedic period, Bharatiyas freely exploited the synergistic relationship between Gaupalan and Agriculture.
