History of Goshalas
Before the nation-wide establishment of Goshalas, the first one was established by Raja Rao Yudhishter Singh Yadav in Rewar. The first Cow Protective Society was established in Punjab in 1882. The movement spread across complete North India, Bombay, Madras, and other prime provinces. Despite the organized establishment of Gaushalas in the country is dated back to the 1880s, the traditional and cultural beliefs and customs are widely surrounded by cows, their well-being, grooming, and their puja. Hindus all over the country, consider cows to be a sacred symbol of life that showed be protected and revered. In Vedas, cows are linked with Aditi, the mother of all gods.
Between 1880 and 1893, hundreds of gaushalas were established in all of India. Soon, the culture of building protective shelters for cows had gone global. Today, New Gokul UK’s only Goshala is intact at the Hare Temple, in Bhaktivedanta Manor. In the United States, many areas of Pennsylvania, Florida, Tennessee, Arizona, etc. are the prime centers to protect and breed Indian cows.
The origin of the reverence of the cow can be dated back to the Video period, between the 2nd millennium and 7th Century. The Indo-European pastoralists stepped into the Indian Subcontinent by the 2nd millennium; and instantly reflected the economic, social, and spiritual importance of cattle. Despite various prevailing practices like animal-sacrifices, flesh-eating, etc. the killing of native Indian milk-producing cows was prohibited to a very large extent. The ancient scriptures like Rigveda, Mahabharata a, religious and ethical code ‘Manu-Smirti’ etc. have forbidden the act of cow slaughter and has regarded milk cow as ‘unslayable’ (specifically mentioned in the Rigveda). The modern-day significance of cow can be reflected by the role of them in rites of healing, purification, and the panchagavya, the five products of the cow – milk, curd, butter, urine, and dung.
