Adventures in India: Holy Cow!

Cows right in the middle of the street!

In India the cow is sacred. That means it has a very important religious meaning. It is frowned upon to eat or even harm a cow! You will see them everywhere in India roaming free! Sometimes they even cause a traffic jam because nobody will move them out of the way! Elephants are also a very important animal with religious background. The deity Ganesh (A Hindu God) is shown in the form of an elephant. Elephants are often decorated and used in ceremonies.

An Elephant decorated for a parade.

Indians do not generally keep pets, though many families own animals to raise as food or to help in the farm such as chickens or ox. Though the people of India do not keep pets it is common to see MANY stray dogs running around. Here in America we have dog catchers and shelters that help give stray animals homes, but they do not have those things in India so they are left to roam the streets. In fact many animals roam the streets from peacocks to pigs to water buffalo! So far we have rode an elephant and a camel!

Riding a Camel In Jaipur

Because India is so large it has many different climates which make it home to THOUSANDS of different plants, trees and flowers. You can see everything from pine trees to palm trees. The flowers of India are bright and beautiful, Spring and summer are the best times to see them. Often we have seen Marigolds and Lotus flowers. We are now in a place in southern India by the ocean called Goa. Here we have lots of coconut and palm trees! And because the weather is so warm it is the ideal place for growing spices! Did you know that cinnamon is the bark of a bay leaf tree?