ONLY in INDIA: Cow Urine - one of the world's weirdest drinks!
The very first thing you should consider before digging deeper into the topic "Only in India: Cow Urine, one of the world's weirdest drinks" is to know what cow urine is.
So, let's explore this drink with Knowinsider!
![]() |
Photo: Bangkok.post. |
What is cow urine?
Cow urine is a liquid by-product of metabolism in cows. Cow urine is also used in medicine in India, Myanmar, Nepal and Nigeria. While cow urine and cow dung has benefits as fertilizers, the proponents' claims about curing diseases and cancer have no scientific backing.
Why do people drink cow urine?
A Hindu group hosted cow urine drinking party on Saturday as they believe it wards off the coronavirus, as many Hindus consider the cow sacred and some drink cow urine believing it has medicinal properties.
As listed in the reuters.com, the “party,” hosted by a group called the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (All India Hindu Union) at its headquarters in the country’s capital, was attended by 200 people, and the organizers hoped to host similar events elsewhere in India.
![]() |
Photo: bloomberg.quint. |
People's strong belief in the use of cow urine to treat serious diseases
Chakrapani Maharaj, the chief of the All India Hindu Union, posed for photographs as he placed a spoon filled with cow urine near the face of a caricature of the coronavirus.
Leaders from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party have advocated the use of cow urine as medicine and a cure for cancer.
A leader from India’s northeastern state of Assam told state lawmakers earlier this month during an assembly session that cow urine and cow dung can be used to treat the coronavirus. The pathogen, which has infected more than 138,000 people worldwide and leftover 5,000 dead, has no known scientific cure and governments across the world are struggling to control the spread of the pandemic. |
The effects of drinking cow urine
Mr Paliwal says: "I was suffering from acute lung diseases and would catch a cough and cold regularly. I even had acne and pimples on my skin but once I started applying urine, my face was crystal clear in just a week. "Since then, there hasn't been a single day when I haven't drunk cow urine."
The cow is considered the holiest animal in Hinduism and any product generated from it- be it milk or urine - is believed to have divine healing powers. Men in India drink cow urine to get rid of zits and skin conditions
Clarified butter, made from cow's milk is used for fire worship which is the highest form of prayer for Hindus. This adds a religious significance to cow's products and hence, cow urine is also used as an antiseptic cleaning agent.
And while cow urine is known to have been an integral ingredient of medicines such as eye and ear drops, joint pain and even antiseptic liquids, with the fashion of drinking it raw gaining momentum, major brands are cashing on the trend and selling packed urine, sometimes four times expensive than vegetable oil. |
Some even claim to have been cured of asthma of drinking cow urine. Popular brands like Patanjali, known for selling herbal products, sell 100 ml of the urine for nearly 50p. But for these villagers, only fresh cow urine has the benefits.
Another example which is taken from express.uk.co is the situation of Yogesh Paliwal, 32, who joins Hemant every morning in drinking cow urine, said: "Cow urine is available in Indian supermarkets but we have in abundance here in our village so we don't buy it.
"I drink fresh cow urine after collecting it from the cow. The benefits of it are unbelievable. It has cured my Asthma completely."
![]() Prairie Oyster gained popularity as a hangover (and hiccup) cure in the 19th century, its appearance in 20th-century literature and film made it the infamous ... |
![]() The exotic snake wine of Vietnam has been an unusual drink around the world. This article figures out some interesting information about this special drink ... |