Shivpuri has its own Goshala (Cow Farm). Currently, it houses about 40 cows and 15 young calves. Most of the present cowswere born right here in Shivipuri.

Guru Mandir has a tradition of cow rearing over a hundred years. Till the 1950's, there was a cow shed in the court yard of the Guru Mandir,. Then the existing building was built and the cows were shifted to another location.

Shreeji was very fond of cows. He had a cow farm built in Konahalli, on a land owned by Mr. Parkhe, on the Solapur - Akkalkot road. He would often visit the farm on important days and festivals to give sweets and other food items to the cows. He was concerned about their wellbeing and asked the locals totake great care of the cows on the farm. The Cow Farm is looked after by the Parkhe family.

Shreejiencouraged people to start their own GoShala (Cow Farm). He believed that the cows are a very integral and essential part of the YagnyaSanstha (System).

The cow milk and its byproducts are an important part of daily diet. Bulls are used in agriculture for tilling land. Their dung and urine is a very potent organic manure and pesticide. This is one of the major reasons that cows have been reared by humans since ancient times.

Go Samadhi:

Shreeji had a Go Samadhi (Cow Memorial), built in Shivpuri in honour of the Cow, whose milk and ghee were used in the 1969 MahaSomayaga in Shivpuri. He strongly opposed the concept of flesh offerings in the Yagnyga fire and urged people to practice Ahimsak (Non Violent-Without flesh sacrifice) systems of Yagnya.

Shivpuri,thus has a very long association and history of Cow rearing.

Cow Rearing Methods:

All cows in Shivpuri are reared using Vedic methods. They are even given Ayurvedic medicines from time to time to keep them healthy. A doctor has been specially appointed for the maintenance of health of the cows. A detailed report of every cow has been maintained.

Building:

A new cow shed was erected in Shivpuri, in the year 2007. It accommodates upto 60 cows. It is a strong structure with ample space for the cows to walk around and rest. It is made from concrete for shielding the cows against naturalelements. They are safe inside from the scorching heat (especially in summer when the temperature reaches up to 45 degrees) and the occasional thunder storms that are very usual in the area around Shivpuri. Special provisions like putting up of Vetiver (Khus) curtains, etc is done to bring down the temperature.

Calf Shed:

A special shed has been built near the main building for the young calves. A separate shed enables them to have their own space, where they can play around by themselves. Special care of the calves is taken to maintain a steady growth rate. They are also given Ayurvedic medicines to ensure optimum growth and development. The On Duty Vet does a complete routine check- up of the calves to guarantee a disease free growing period. A detailed record of each calf is maintained to mark the growth rate, etc.

Fodder:

Great care is taken in ensuring that the cows are fed the right fodder. They are fed green grass, dry grass, Go Khadya (Cow Feed) which is a powder like material made from a combination of various pulses, whole rice flakes, sesame seeds, whole wheat flakes, groundnut paste, etc. and a special Ayurvedicformulation.They are grazed in the open fields and meadows around the Cow Farm. Some farms around Shivpuri have been specially developed as grazing grounds for the cows. The dry and green grass fed to the cows is grown in Shivpuri Farms usingAgnihotra Farming Methods. The specific watering times are also noted and the cows are given ample and clean ground water from the wells or borewells of Shivpuri. Thisguarantees a contamination free drinking water and restricts the transfer of water borne diseases.

Milking:

The cows are milked twice a day. Once at 5 am and then again at around 4 pm. Experienced staff members only are permitted to do this activity, as an inexperienced person can end up hurting the cow. The milk from these cows is used in Annapurna kitchen. This milk is also used for the Naivedyamboth in Shivpuri and Guru Mandir.

Milk Distribution:

Some milk is also distributed in the nearby localities. People from the areas around Shivpuri come to Shivpuri every morning and evening to collect the milk. They can vouch for the taste and purity. So they are ready to travel 1-2 kmson foot or by bike, as they prefer the milk from Shivpuri.

Shree Shreekantji Maharaja insisted that the milk form Shivpuri be given to the people living in the areas around Shivpuri. It would provide nutrition to the children. He insisted and ensured that the people were given their daily requirement of milk.

Today more than 100 families collect milk from ShivpuriGoshala everyday. Shivpurihas plans to increase this number by buying more cows and increasing the milk production.

Cow Dung:

The Goshala also serves as a source for the Cow dung for making the dry cow dung cakes which are necessary for Agnihotra purposes. All the Dung is collected throughout the day and kept in an area specially demarcated for the drying purposes. Shivpuri inmates, Agnihotris visiting Shvipuri and some employees do the work of making the Dung Cakes. It is a process which involves cleaning the dung, mixingit with water, blending it cohesively to form a homogenous mixture and then making it into various forms and laying it on the ground for drying. Today all this activity is being done on the terrace of the new Cow Shed. This has enabled the easy transfer of Cow Dung and there is no loss during transport. After drying, the cakes are then placed in a jute bag. These bags are then stored in a dry place, away from directsunlight in a special storage facillity. They are sold through the Veda Agnihotra Center (VAC).

Cow Ghee (Clarified Butter):

Cow Ghee is a necessary element of Agnihotra. Pure cows Ghee is made everyday in Shivpuri from the cream that is collected in Shivpuri. The ghee is made using the Ayurvedic method of making ghee. All the ghee made in Shivpuri is then used in Shivpuri.

Milk Products:

Some milk products are also made from the leftover milk. Products like curds,shrikhand (Indian yoghurt sweet) and is alsomade available to the people living in and around Shivpuri.

Manure:

Broken pieces, leftover dung and urine are collected in a soak pit situated behind the cow shed. All of this, along with the farm and Cow Farm waste like leftover fodder, dry leaves, twigs, are emptied into a manure pit dug near the Northern end of the shedevery seven days.The leftover food and other wet waste from Annapurna too, are added to this pit. The Nirmalya (dry flowers and leaves from Pooja) is also added to this pit. It is a closed pit method of making manure. Agnihotra Ash is added to this mixture. This method is as per the Agnihotra Farming Methods. All the manure that is made here is used in the gardens of Shivpuri and also in the farms.

Proposed:

A new shed for cow rearing, which can house up to 100 cows is under planning. Shivpuri plans to build a dairy project also where pure ghee, etc can be made on a large scale.

Go Daan:

We run the GoShala on a no-profit basis. We urge people to come forward and donate towards this noble cause.

We also accept Go Daan (donation in form of cow).