Pennsylvania now has a sanctuary for cows

BY A STAFF WRITER

BARNGO (PA) — There is now a cow sanctuary in Bangor, Pennsylvania.

Known as Lakshmi Cow Sanctuary, whose tagline is “Promoting Love and Compassion for All”, it rescues cows and provides safe and nurturing haven and a free and loving environment to them.

Many people celebrate their special events here by feeding cows and find the sanctuary a “deeply inner-transformative experience”. The sanctuary also sells organic, dried cow dung patties for use in some Hindu ceremonies. Spread over 42 acres, it currently has 16 cows and each has been given a name like Vedanta, etc.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada, commended efforts of the sanctuary to provide protection to cows held sacred by Hindus and were considered the seat of many deities. Also referred as “Mother Cow”, this divine animal was venerated from an early period by Hindus worldwide.

Rajan Zed, who is also the president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, stressed the need for more such cow sanctuaries the world over to provide caring shelters for cows, whom the oldest existing scripture Rig-Veda described as aghnya (not slayable).

Dr. Sankar Sastri, a former dean of engineering in New York City College of Technology, is the founder-president of this sanctuary located about 70 miles from New York City.