Camera Critters #281 - Jaipur Cows

I just recently returned to Jaipur for five days - the lovely Pink City in Rajasthan 
where I lived for five months last year.  As always, I was amazed at all the
cows wandering about, seemingly owned by no one ( though I'm sure they 
must have a home somewhere! ).  

In India, by many, especially of the Hindu religion, cows are considered sacred
animals, "God's useful gift to mankind."  They walk wherever they wish, in busy
crowded streets and seem unafraid.  Horns do not blow at them and cars slow
and wait for them to cross streets.  It is not unusual to see them lying in the 
street or standing up on medians.

People often bring them food to eat as they forage about in search of a meal.

http://hinduism.about.com/od/vegetarianism/a/holycows.htm

http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/things/cow.htm

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Camera Critters #281

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Camera Critters -Cows of Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, February 18, 2012

Cows are sacred animals here in India and they freely wander the streets,
in the midst of all the other traffic, which ranges from cars, trucks, buses,
auto rickshaws, bicycle rickshaws, bicycles, carts pushed by men and women,
elephants, and camels.  There may be others but those are the modes of
transportation that quickly come to mind.

Most of the cows look very healthy though, Lala, my taxi driver and friend,
tells many belong to no one.  They forage through garbage piles and, often,
people do leave food for them.

MacDonald's here in India offers no beef hamburgers.  I had a chicken
maharajah when I ate there!