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EveryCow

Temple and ceremonial

Temple cows and Nandi bulls, the mithun of the Naga feasts and the sacred herds of history.

A zebu: humped cattle of South Asian descent, with a hump over the shoulders, a loose dewlap and long, drooping ears.

Ceremonial cattle are kept for worship, ritual and display rather than for what they produce. In Hindu India, temple cows and bulls are fed and cared for at shrines and in gaushalas, and the bull Nandi sits before the door of almost every Shiva temple. In the hills of Northeast India, the mithun is the animal of feasts, gifts and bride wealth. In Rwanda, the long-horned Inyambo cattle of the old royal court are still trained and paraded. In ancient Egypt, the Apis bull of Memphis was worshipped as a living god.

Temple cattle in India

Many Hindu temples keep cows and bulls, and devotees bring them grass, jaggery and fruit. A bull is sometimes dedicated to a temple and left to roam, and in South India the decorated Nandi bull is part of temple processions. Small native breeds such as Punganur and Vechur are now often found in temple and gaushala herds. At Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, trained and decorated bulls called gangireddulu are led from house to house by their keepers with music, and they bow and nod on command.

The mithun of the Northeast

Among the Naga, Adi, Nyishi, Mizo and other peoples of the eastern Himalaya and the Chin Hills, the mithun has long been a measure of wealth. It is given as bride price, used to settle disputes and offered at the great community feasts that raise a family's standing. The mithun is the state animal of both Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. Mithun usually range free in the forest and are called back with salt.

Royal and ancient cattle

In Rwanda, Inyambo are long-horned Ankole cattle that were kept by the royal court and chosen for their great horns and calm bearing. They are trained to walk in step and are sung to with praise poems, and they still appear at cultural events. In Egypt, a single black bull with set markings was chosen as the Apis of Memphis and kept in a temple. Bull figures also run through the Minoan art of Crete, the Indus seals and the cave paintings of Europe.

Worth knowing

  • Mithun: Domestic gaur of Northeast India, animal of feasts and bride wealth
  • Inyambo: Ankole cattle of the Rwandan royal court
  • Punganur: Dwarf Andhra breed now kept in many temples and gaushalas
  • Vechur: Very small Kerala breed often kept by temples and households
  • Ankole-Watusi: The long-horned Ankole family, long tied to status and ceremony
  • Gir: Gujarat breed widely kept in gaushalas

Good to know

  • Gaushala and temple herds often include old and unproductive animals, so feed and shelter must be planned for the long term.
  • Decorations such as painted horns and bells should never restrict breathing, sight or movement.

Sources and further reading

About this page

Original text by the EveryCow desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Customs are described as tradition, not as advice. If we have something wrong, tell us.

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