Sadhu Paksha Day Three….

We bring you our bovine friends…

This is Hana… She a Holstein and gives a lot of milk each day…. that is her calf in the back… little Anuradha. And behind her in the shade is our other calf, Nandini.

For those who were at the Aadheenam during Anuradha days after birth you may recall she had some congenital problem with one of her forelegs, and could hardly stand up and actually spent the first six to eight months of her life on her knees. She could barely walk. Had we not encouraged her, she would have been very content just to lie down and give up.

In the real world dairy industry they would have “put her down” and sold her for veal. But the monks said “No Way!” and we nursed her slowly back to health. We are happy to say that today, after being out on the open fields, our initial physical therapy efforts (we used to physically pick her up and put her on her feet, several times a day, day after day…”Walk Anu! You can do it!”) all worked. Her legs are now strong and she walks around proudly like any other little calf.

This is Chaturthi. She was also raised by the monks and did not mix with other cows much in her early life. As a result she tends to think of herself more as a human… maybe she was in a previous birth and is taking a break from all that karma with a quiet life as a cow. Very intelligent, she will immediately walk up to you and say Hello, and check you out, stick her head inside the utility vehicle… “Did you bring any alfalfa today?”

Chaturthi has not the slightest fear of humans and is ever ready to have an eye-to-eye….