KHAMMAM: For 57-year-old Kouta Umamaheswara Rao, cows are no less than goddesses, as proven by years of selfless care and affection he and his family have given to them.
A farmer, Umamaheswara Rao has been providing food and shelter to cows rescued by the police from being shifted to slaughterhouses in Hyderabad. A resident of Dammapet mandal headquarters, he has dedicated his life to this humanitarian cause.
In addition to his farming activities, Umamaheswara Rao has established the Sri Krishnasai Goshala which currently provides shelter to around 80 cows.
His efforts stem from a long family tradition of caring for cows, initiated by his parents and grandparents. Taking over the responsibility, Umamaheswara Rao spends approximately Rs 1 lakh per month to maintain the shelter.
He first began his service in 2016 with three cows given to him by a temple priest who was unable to provide for them. Over time, other temples in the surrounding areas also entrusted their cows to him, unable to manage their upkeep. Despite mounting financial burden, effort and time, Umamaheswara Rao has never turned away a cow in need, believing in the importance of serving these voiceless animals.
To support the cows, he has allocated one acre of land for shelter and an additional five acres for growing fodder. Besides caring for the cows, he also distributes cow urine and dung to other farmers for organic farming practices.
Cows seen grazing in the goshala run by Kouta Umamaheswara Rao in Bhadradri Kothagudem district
Cows seen grazing in the goshala run by Kouta Umamaheswara Rao in Bhadradri Kothagudem district(Photo | Express)
G Ramesh from Khammam praised Umamaheswara Rao’s selfless service, saying that the latter expects nothing in return. Stating that there was an increase in illegal transportation of cows to slaughterhouses, Ramesh lauded the efforts of some police officials in protecting the animals.
