PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Uttarkashi
The social activist Ajay Prakash Badola has long been known as promoting self-employment by preparing various useful products from cow dung like incense sticks, candles and lamps. Now, he has embarked on a new initiative of preparing fridge magnets from cow dung depicting the religious and cultural importance of Uttarkashi. Pictures of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Uttarkashi and Gangotri Dham have been embedded on these fridge magnets, which are being liked a lot by the devotees coming on Char Dham Yatra.
Hailing this initiative as commendable towards cow protection and local employment generation, the spiritual leader, Mahant Ajay Puri said that cow, cow dung and cow urine are considered sacred in Indian culture. He also consecrated these cow dung-made fridge magnets at Kashi Vishwanath Temple premises. “If one keeps cow dung-made items in homes, these transmit positive energy,” he added. He also suggested cow dung cakes be distributed among devotees on the occasion of Mahashivratri. He urged the youth to take inspiration from such innovations and adopt self-employment.
Badola explained that cow dung has been used to create everyday items for the past several years. “Fridge magnets have been made to meet the demand for souvenirs for Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Gangotri Dham among the pilgrims. “This work is creating local employment opportunities. Women from self-help groups are earning too through the cow dung products they manufacture,” he said, adding that the demand for the fridge magnets keeps rising during the Char Dham Yatra.
