Holy Cow? Stray Cows Get Free Breakfast from Owner of Hotel Mahalasa
Mangaluru: This is a small common man’s restaurant/Hotel located near Marnamikatta Railway Bridge, in Mangaluru, where food buffs patronize this hotel for its tasty food items, which are cheap and best- and this food joint happens to be Hotel Mahalasa, veg and non-veg restaurant. I was introduced to this hotel by my friend Kevin D’souza from Jeppu Bappal, Mangaluru three years, and since then I have been patronizing this place for Idli Thove in the morning or for Chicken Sukka/fish fry as parcel during lunch time, which are unbelievably tasty and worth your money.
It so happened this morning around 6.45 am while I was on my way to click a few pictures of Gujjarakere tank in Marnamikatta for an exclusive story, I stopped by at Hotel Mahalasa for my regular Idli Thove and coffee- and after done parking my two-wheeler and while I was walking into the restaurant, a herd of stray cows followed right behind me-it was a cute scene to watch. And while I sat down at the table, five to six “cow faces” kept staring at me while I was enjoying my Idli Thove- and keep reading the rest of the story.
Yes, years ago in Mangaluru we used to see large number of cows being allowed to roam freely anywhere they like, in honor of their exalted status. But recently the numbers have decreased, and you see only a few that roam in the City. But, cows are left free to roam around to eat pasture (green grass) that grows around naturally. But due to the urbanization happening in this era, their natural food resources (lush green fields) are getting replaced by buildings and roads. The paths that were once used by the animals are getting replaced by the modern roads and buildings built by man in this technological era. Another reason is that Mangaluru is still fast-growing in infrastructure and also that Mangalureans are smart in a different way than the whole world.
It works like this-cows are worshiped here in Mnagaluru and in rest of India and feeding cows is often considered to be an act of holiness and goodness towards animals by most of the Indians. Cows are very useful for mankind. Cows give us milk and various dairy-products which are good for our body. Every organ in a cow is useful even after it dies. Thus, cows are considered to be greater than the actual mother who gave us birth, in India. So, we all feed them.
Now, the other side of it. The owners of the cows here, I think, let their cows roam free as they know that they will get free food. The fodder which they feed to the cattle comes moderately expensive. The cows move from one house to the other (as there is a scarcity of green lush grass field in cities) to get fed by the people living in the houses. It cuts down the fodder expenses to a great extent for the milkmen (the cow owners). It’s like a double jackpot for them. Because the cows return to their owner’s place to give milk after eating its food!! The milkmen sell the milk the cow produces, eating all the free food plus the fodder fed by the owner! So, more milk for the owner as well as the calf! It’s a smart business idea!! Isn’t it!?
It’s not a bad thing. After all, feeding cows, or any other animal for that matter, according to the Hindu religion, is believed to be an act of goodness and humanity! It wipes our sins away and the cows bless us too!! Karma matters. Isn’t it a good deal..! Even though, some of the milkmen cheat their customers by adding a lot of water into the milk to increase their profits. Another reason for cows roaming freely on roads is mismanagement of the local governing bodies. The people responsible for keeping the cows away from the roads are sometimes bribed by some milkmen/cow owners, so that the cows don’t get captured by them. But this has to change. Hope it does?
Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Diwakar Billava, the owner of Hotel Mahalasa said, “It so happened one morning a bunch of cows gathered in front of my hotel, and I knew that they looking for food or water, so without any hesitation I gave them water and some of the food items, but they only preferred dosas and nothing else- and since three years these cows have been regular to my hotel front entrance, in the mornings and sometimes in the afternoon. They come between the time of 6.30 am-7 am, and we keep their dosas ready, and our hotel boys feel happy to feed them. After all we Hindus believe cow as God, and respecting them and feeding them will bring good luck to us and my business”.
