What is a Goshala?
A traditional cow sanctuary based on the understanding that all beings, including animals, are sacred and worthy of our love and compassion.
“In India we talk about ‘vasudhaiva kutumbkam’, which means the Earth family. Indian cosmology has never separated the human from the non-human—we are a continuum.”
— Dr. Vandana Shiva
In Hinduism the humble cow is regarded as a selfless and constant provider for humanity’s basic needs - her milk provides sustenance, her dung is used as fuel and fertilizer, and other byproducts have medicinal properties.
Beyond the cow’s material benefits to mankind, she has enormous spiritual significance in Hinduism. The cow is regarded as the representation of pure maternal love, abundance and auspiciousness. The goshala, or cow sanctuary, is a place where cows are raised, protected and treated as divine beings in animal form.
As a universal symbol of Mother Earth, the simple act of feeding and caring for a cow is a powerful spiritual practice that eliminates negative karma and creates a deep sense of gratitude and fulfillment in the practitioner.
Factory farming is an unsustainable method of raising food animals that concentrates large numbers of animals into confined spaces. 99% of of meat, dairy, and eggs in the U.S. come from factory farms and feedlots. Factory farms pollute the environment, ravage rural communities, and harm the welfare of animals—while increasing corporate control over our food.
Ethical dairies offer a humane alternative based on treating the animals, the land, and the environment with respect and kindness. The goshala model is the ultimate ethical dairy where cows live their full life span, are never separated from their calves, graze on pastures, and are never milked by machines.
Housing and caring for cows incurs significant expenses from land, infrastructure, food, veterinary care, etc. compounded by the fact that goshala cows will NEVER be sold for their meat. Most goshalas are heavily dependent on donations to operate - our BUY ONE, FEED ONE model offers a vital way to keep them sustainable and scalable.
The goshala ecosystem serves as a beacon of compassion, sustainability, and the equality of all beings.
Every product you buy from AGHORI provides a meal for a cow that has been rescued from auction lots and factory farms to be raised in our partner network of goshalas where the happiness and welfare of the animal is the first priority.
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