The respect and regard paid to cows in India is well known, but the importance to rural Indians of the dung and urine of this sacred animal is often ignored. This presentation will describe the many indigenous uses of cow dung and urine as a resource in rural India.
Cow dung is used as a cooking fuel; sanitizing cleanser; construction material, insulation, and waterproofing for walls and floors in rural houses; a cultural symbol in religious worship; the raw-material for producing organic compost and generating electricity. The urine of cows is considered an elixir of life and is used as a natural remedy for liver and heart conditions as well as for enhancing mental and physical strength and increasing longevity. The urine of a cow is said to balance bile, mucous, and airs, which cause disease when they are not in balance. The utilization of cow dung and urine is a perfect example of sustainable living.
An understanding of the use of cow dung and urine by the rural Indian population can illustrate the indigenous knowledge associated with these materials and can enable entrepreneurs to develop dung and urine as alternative sources of materials for housing construction and electricity generation as well as cost-effective and environmentally friendly fuels and medicines. Even the ash formed from the burning of dung as a fuel can be used as a cleaning agent for household utensils or used as a fertilizer without causing any negative impact to the growing crops. Clearly, the use of cow dung and urine as indigenous resources provides a stark contrast to the hi-tech advancement occurring in modern day India.
Dr. Nripendra Singh is a Fulbright-Nehru Environmental Leadership Program (FNELP) Fellow. As a Fulbright Fellow at Penn State, he is working on Waste Management in the School of Hospitality Management. His interest in waste management and his roots in the rural Indian state of Uttar Pradesh encouraged him to share his thoughts on the indigenous knowledge associated with the use of bovine waste as an invaluable resource in his native country.