‘Was like mother to us’: Villagers bid farewell to cow in Baghpat

Bareilly: A 24-year-old cow was given an emotional farewell after her death in Mukundpur village of Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district on Tuesday. In a rare gesture, the family of farmer Devendra Sharma also announced that they will perform ‘tehravi’ (13th-day death rituals), a tradition usually reserved for humans.Treated as a family member for over two decades, the cow, Gauri, was accorded a solemn send-off, with her last journey turning into a community event. The funeral procession was carried out with traditional honours, as the village echoed with the sounds of drums and music.Videos of the last rites were widely circulated on social media. Gauri’s body was decorated before being taken through the village, where many gathered to bid her a tearful goodbye.Devendra Sharma, who reared Gauri for 24 years, said, “Gauri was more than just livestock. She was like a mother to us. For 24 years, she nourished three generations of our family with her milk and gave birth to several calves. Her contribution to our household is beyond words.”He said that the entire village participated in the cow’s final journey. “We ensured she received the same dignity in death as she had in life,” Sharma said.