Temple in Vidyadharapuram conducts baby shower ceremony for cow

VIJAYAWADA: In a very rare practice, devotees at the Sri Lakshmi Padmavathi Sahita Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy temple at Vidyadharapuram, performed a Seemantham (baby shower) for a Punganooru breed cow. Around 300 women attended the holy ritual which is believed to bring peace and prosperity to the land.
Seemantham is a ritual performed for an expecting mother a few weeks before delivery, wishing the safety of the baby and the mother. Sri Krishna and Jyothi from Kankipadu, who raise Punganuru breed cows, performed a baby shower for one of their cows, along with the temple committee and as per Vedic hymns.
Women decorated the cow with flowers and silk robes and offered it fresh fruits and sweets. Vedic scholars performed a puja to the cow. “The cow is considered a holy animal. This cow is our family member and we do not treat it just as an animal. We were told that performing a baby shower for Kapila cow will bring peace and health. Our initiative has received a huge response. At least one woman from each family in our colony participated in this programme,” said Sanku Sri Ramulu, president of the temple committee.
Pontiff Sri Siva Swamy said a baby shower for a cow is an age-old tradition and not a new practice. He said they plan to make it a regular ritual at Goushalas across the state as it is believed to bring good health and prosperity.