Imagine a wedding where someone is asked, do you take this COW to be your lawfully wedded wife? Like any bride on the most important
day of her life, no expense was spared on Poonam’s outfit.
Her head was adorned in intricate gold jewellery, a bejewelled red sari draped over her back, even her hooves were decorated with floral
bracelets.
For the 300 guests who travelled to the Indian village of Bhavnagar, Gujarat state, the wedding between Poonam, a cow, and Arjun, a bull,
is sure to be one of the strangest events they have witnessed.
Among those watching the bizarre union were Poonam’s ‘relatives’ who were carefully led through crowds of bemused spectators.
The event was organised by a charity in protest against the slaughter of cows in India, where the vast majority of people are Hindus, a
religion in which they are considered sacred.
Revered as a symbol of wealth cows are relied on for dairy products and for tilling the fields, and on cow dung as a source of fuel and
fertilizer.
In October a Muslim man was dragged out of his house and beaten to death by an angry mob in Bisara village, near New Delhi, over
rumours his family killed and ate a cow
For this bizarre union to highlight such killings, Brahmin priests were brought in from Bhavnagar to officiate the wedding which cost
Poonam and Arjun’s owners 1.8 million Indian rupees – around £180,000.
In a one of its kind event, the charity even prepared a wedding invitation for the couple.
The owners held the lavish ceremony to show that the value of cows in Indian culture is ‘immeasurable’.
‘I have been living with cows for the last 30 years and hence, know the amount of love this animal is capable of,’ Vijaybhai, Poonam’s
owner told the media.
He added: ‘I don’t mind having a modest wedding for my children, but I will get my daughter Poonam married in the most lavish manner
possible,’.
The guests were treated to a sumptuous feast, including Gujarati lentils, Phulwadi, Ladva and Undhiyu.
The guests, accompanied by a three-member wedding orchestra, began a procession from the groom’s village and the bride travelled in a
palanquin that was erected on a truck.
The ‘couple’ were married according to proper Hindu rituals and a special havan (burning of sandalwood in ghree) was also planned to
pray for an early offspring.
