Recollections of a Communicator; Kamadhenu and I

New Delhi, Nov. 5 (ANI): How does one express one's attachment to a cow? You will have to spend a large part of your life in rural India to understand that it's not just another domestic animal.

When I was young I spent a great deal of time at my grandparents' home in Mangalore (now Mangaluru) in South Kanara district along the western coast. Even after I joined school in nearby town of Karkala, I spent my vacations there.

What I distinctly remember is that my grandmother Rajamma used to personally milk the cow Kamadhenu in the yard and give the first glass to me after warming it. There was no milk powder or condensed milk those days, and as far as I know, the whole requirement of milk, curds and buttermilk for a family of four-five adults, was provided by Kamadhenu.

One year, during summer months, my grandmother brought Kamadhenu to my mother's house in Karkala and said that the cow was pregnant, hence not lactating. She asked my mother to take care of Kamadhenu till she gave birth and would come back to fetch her after she moved to a new home.

Kamadhenu stayed in our house for a few months. I grew very fond of the gentle creature. My day would begin by patting her head and heading off to school and then giving her another affectionate rub in the evening before turning in.

My mother Seetaratna would visit the corner of the garden and speak to Kamadhenu during the day, assuring her that childbirth was a piece of cake and she would soon be a mom to a healthy calf. To us it seemed as if a cousin had come to live with us.

Karkala was a rocky town with very few grass patches. It is known worldwide for the 42-feet-tall stone statute of Gomateshwara. The cattle had to be escorted for grazing or we had to buy the fodder. It became difficult to cope with a cow and the difficult decision was taken to send Kamadhenu to my cousin's place in Naravi, a village about 14 kilometres from Karkala, where she could be left free to graze on healthy green grass.

After nearly six months, when I was leaving for school one early morning. I saw a cow that looked like Kamadhenu standing outside our gate. I ran in and called out to my mother to come to the yard and confirm whether it really was Kamadhenu. She came out and stood still, with tears in her eyes she smiled gently at me and said, "yes, son she is Kamadhenu. Open the gate and let her in." The cow rushed to the cowshed behind the house and occupied her place.

It wasn't that Kamadhenu was ill-treated or was unhappy at my cousin's home at Naravi. She knew that it was time to give birth and she wanted the calf to be born at our home, explained my mother. She had travelled 14 kilometres unescorted from Naravi village to Karkala. Her instincts must have showed her the way.

I could not understand then it wasn't that Kamadhenu had become enormous with all the healthy grass that she had been eating, it was that she was going to give birth anytime soon. Sure enough, two days later, Kamadhenu gave birth to a calf.

We named the calf, Surabhi. Kamadhenu became a part of my life till I left Karkala to go for further studies to Mumbai. When I returned home, I would rush to meet Kamadhenu and Surabhi who had transferred their affection to my younger siblings. None of them complained about cleaning the cowshed or feeding the cow and calf. She gave us so much in return.

Kamadhenu, I came to know, literally meant someone who gave whatever one desired, and Surabhi meant was one who gave in plenty. After my parents passed away and our house in Karkala was sold, Kamadhenu and Surabhi moved to my sister's farm in Belthangady, also in South Kanara. My children would meet Kamadhenu and Surabhi when they visited their aunts in the summer.

Kamadhenu's link with the extended family continued. Kamadhenu passed away, so did my younger sister. The last I met Surabhi, her gentle eyes followed me as I left the cowshed with a heavy heart, not knowing if I would meet Kamadhenu's daughter ever again.

Mr. I. Ramamohan Rao is a former Principal Information Officer of the Government of India. He can be reached on his e-mail: raoramamohan@hotmail.com .