The Gujarat Gauseva Ayog has started a cow tourism project to popularise the animal. Those interested to know how cows are reared and how products are made with cow urine and dung can now take a two-day trip to some of best-kept cow shelters and grazing spots in the state, PTI reported.

“Cow tourism is a step towards making people understand the economic benefits of keeping cows,” Gauseva Ayog Chairperson Vallabh Kathiria said. “Most people are not aware that we can earn good income by preparing some basic products, such as biogas and medicines, using cow dung and urine.”

Cow urine, he added, has medicinal properties and is used to make organic phenyl and soap, while cow dung is used to produce biogas, fertilisers and incense sticks.

Dharmaj village near Anand is one of the destinations on the tour. There, people can see how land is prepared for grazing. “People who are concerned about the well-being of cows take ideas from such model gauchar during the trip and implement them at their village,” Kathiria said, adding that several people who attended the tour have started rearing cows and built their own cow shelters.

The Ayog is also planning other projects to popularise cow rearing. At present, it is in talks with jails and educational institutes to build cow shelters on their premises. “At present, jails in Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Bhuj have cow shelters,” Kathiria said. “We are in contact with authorities of Gondal and Amreli jails to open such gaushalas on their premises.”