Faith Features

To many observers the orange robed followers of Krishna were as much a part of swinging London as the Routemaster bus and Carnaby Street.

However, at Bhaktivedanta Manor at Letchmore Heath, a whole community lives the vedic lifestyle in a beautiful house donated by Krishna devotee, the late George Harrison. Visitors are welcome and everyday a sumptuous vegetarian meal is available for anybody that stops by.

The devotees are Hindus and in December 2007 Bhaktivedanta Manor became the fulcrum of a debate about the way in which differing faiths and cultures revere animals.

Cow shed at Bhaktivedanta Manor

Gangotri was the mother figure of the herd of working cattle at the Manor's farm. She was old and had been injured when a bull tried to serve her. She became what is called in farming circles "a downer". Normally, such animals last less than two weeks and in British farming, where the cow is part of the food chain, a vet would probably put the animal down.

Provider

Gangotri though was a Hindu animal. The cow is a great provider: of milk for food, dung for fertiliser, urine which is used in traditional medicines, and of course of sheer muscle where oxen plough the fields. The cow is allowed to live its natural life rather than be destroyed just because it no longer has any financial use.

Gangotri lived for two years after her accident, and the devotees lavished a programme of palliative care on "mother" Gangotri. As well as being fed luxuries such as carrots, she received acupuncture and aromatherapy.

December 13th 2007 was a black day for Hindus in Britain. Vets acting for the RSPCA killed Gangotri while the monks were praying to the Deities. What followed was a protracted debate about the beliefs of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains who all revere the cow as sacred.

As Gangotri's ashes were scattered by Gauri Das in the Ganges, hundreds of people demonstrated outside Parliament and the headquarters of DEFRA. A dramatic reenactment of the "betrayal" was performed in Parliament Square where Gangotri was represented by a beautiful girl.

New

Now at the start of 2009 things have moved on. In the surroundings of the new Goshalla, a new cow has joined the herd.

Bhaktivedanta Manor.

New arrival Aditi is in calf and is a symbol of reconciliation. A year after Gangotri's death the RSPCA issued a full unconditional apology and Aditi, whose name means "the freeone, boundless" and "the archaic mother", is a gift from that charity.

Gangotri's death served to illustrate and illuminate the beliefs of other faiths and highlighted that our agricultural ecosystem is not the only way to relate to animals.

Visitors to the new Cow Protection Centre will see Aditi and the other animals living a contented life on a very different kind of working farm. Oxen plough the fields and on special open days, children ride in the brightly decorated ox cart.

Aditi was welcomed in a low key ceremony in order not to upset her in her delicate condition. Once the calf is born, and it doesn't matter which sex it is, it is hoped that those involved in the Justice for Gangotri Campaign and the RSPCA can come together to celebrate reconciliation and collaboration.

By then Aditi will be acclimatised to carrots and ritual chanting!