India is known as the land of festivals, and diversity is its identity. People of different castes, religions and communities live here, and all the people have their own festivals and different way of celebrating them. Different states and regions have their own regional festivals. Among such festivals, there is one unique festival that is gaining the attention of the masses, especially cow lovers, which is the Gorehabba Cow Dung Festival. Thus in this blog, we will deeply explore this festival, its origin, and its cultural view.

Gorehabba Cow Dung Festival- Loved by Folks in Karnataka

The residents of Gumatapura village, located about 180 km south of Bangalore in Karnataka, celebrate the cow dung festival, also known as the Gorehabba^[1] Festival, as the sign of Diwali’s end. This festival is quite similar to Spain’s “La Tomatina,” an in-demand tomato-pelting festival of the fruit whereas on the other hand, the Gorehabba Cow Dung Festival is a festival in which large cheerful crowd pelted other people with the fistfuls of cow dung as part of a traditional ritual in one village as the symbol of good health and the prosperity of each other.

The belief associated with the Gorehabba Cow Dung festival is that residents of Guma where the residents believe that their god, Beereshwara Swamy, was born from cow dung. The Gorehabba festival begins when tractors and trolleys transport the cow dung at the local temple of the area, where a priest performs their traditional blessing ritual. The dung is then dumped in an outdoor area, where men and boys wade into and begin preparing their weapons for the battle ahead.

What is Cow Dung?

Cow dung, also known as faeces, is a mix of indigestible plant material, water, and other substances excreted by the animal’s intestine. Cow dung is one of the valuable resources which help us in several different ways. It is one of the abundant and renewable resources which are less expensive and simply available bio-source. Cow dung is also known as the primary source of gas production and gobar in India. Furthermore, the cow dung festival is celebrated all over India in which cow dung fight takes place.

Uses of Cow Dung

Here are some of the following uses of Cow Dung:

Cow Dung as Biogas and Fuel

Cow dung serves as a fantastic fuel. Dung from domestic cows or buffalo is utilized in different forms. It is gathered and dried for fuel after it is mixed with straw. This selection of materials is lit to give the fire and flame for preparing food. Even in North America, people are utilising the stored energy in cow dung, however in an indirect manner by the production of biogas from the dung. Biogas is a fuel combination created by the anaerobic (in the absence of oxygen) digestive process of organic material by bacteria. Animal dung, sewer system, plant material, or food waste are all examples of organic matter. A biogas plant is a device used to digest the substance. The generated gas can be utilized as fuel.

Cow Dung as Construction Material

Cow dung is often utilized on the floors of the village or rural homes in India and may also be applied to the walls. The combination enables the water-resistant layer, which helps to protect the residence from heat and has no awful smell. Cow dung is mixed with straw dust via a novel method for producing construction bricks. These bricks are comparatively lighter than traditional bricks.

A Repellent for Insects

When cow dung is fired, the smoke that is produced by it helps to repel insects, which also include mosquitoes. This property has prompted some people to reconsider using it as an insect repellent. It is an intriguing fact in and of itself.

As a Fertilizer

Cow dung must be removed from fields because dried pats decrease grazing area. Cow faeces also emit methane, which acts as a greenhouse gas in the environment. Some of the dung is carried into river systems as well as other bodies of water by runoff, causing pollution in them with nutritional excess. Cow dung is a good fertiliser because it is high in mineral resources, particularly nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. When it is combined with soil, it promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria. It can also enhance soil texture and help it retain moisture. Manure is frequently too high in certain chemicals and must be diluted or allowed to sit in the soil for some period of time before the planting of crops.

An Initiative by PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji to Support the Animals

Several Hindus believe that the cows and everything produced by them are holy and purifying. Our Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also a Hindu nationalist, came forward to support the animals and initiated the protection-based initiative for them by which many states have banned the killing of animals for their meat. The party members of Modi’s party have started the practice of using cow urine to cure Covid-19 and several other ailments.

In addition, Modi’s government is striving to enhance the productivity of toothpaste, mosquito repellents and shampoos from cow waste.

Local People’s views on Gorehabba Cow Dung Festival

One of the Farmers of the particular area of Gumatapura, Mahesh, had said that “If any person is suffering from any disease, they will be healed,” because, as we are very well aware that for centuries in Hindu religion, the cow has been considered as the holy sign of earth and life. They use cow dung for worshipping and practising rituals.

Gorehabba Cow Dung festival is the only festival of showering and pelting cow dung. Especially for Ugadi (The New Year) as per Telugu Calendar, approx 4000 people from the Kurnool’s Kairuppala village split the peoples into two groups and pelt the cow dung on each other. It is a practice done just after the day of Ugadi at the time of the cavalcade of their local deity Shri Veerabhadra Swamy. As per their traditional beliefs, splitting or showering cow dung on each other is practised to maintain peace and harmony between the two different sections of society which is also popular as ‘Pidakala Samaram’.

Conclusion

The Gorehabba festival is now celebrated every single year by mostly every village and by the different communities who have their unique way of celebrating this festival. With the rise in the popularity of the Gorehabba Cow Dung festival, the SwadeshiVIP Family has taken the initiative to encourage people to purchase environment-friendly products made from cow dung, such as cow dung shampoo, soap, toothpaste, bricks and many more, and also we provide cow dung to our customers on their special demand. We are going to celebrate Gorehabba Cow Dung Festival in order to create awareness related to this eco-friendly, fun-filled festival.

Read Our Article: Throwing Light on the Benefits of Cow Dung and its Importance

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