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> CB: I've heard that cows are sacred in India. What's the status of cow dung there ?
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among brahmin's the cow's urine is considered holy in some sense. its called "gomutra" (translates essentially to "cow urine") and is even consumed. searching for "gomutra" on google will give you some useful links such as this one:
http://free.freespeech.org/india100/cows.htm
also:
cow dung is used variously for supposed ayurvedic (medicinal) and sanitation purposes. the ground in front of homes is often sprinkled with cowdung (mixed in water). cowdung cakes are used as fuel, especially in religious ceremonies.
--ravi