Satyam Shivam Sundaram Gau Nivas holds Maha Annakut Mahotsav at Umda Nagar

Hyderabad: South India’s biggest and India’s best maintained Gaushala (cow shelter) Satyam Shivam Sundaram Gau Nivas organized “Maha Annakut Mahotsav” at Umda Nagar in Gaganpahad. Thousands of cow lovers/animal lovers, and devotees graced the day-long occasion.

Annakut festival is celebrated as the new beginning. The meaning of ‘Annakut’ is "mountain of food". It symbolises an offering of food to God and the love and devotion that has gone into preparing it. Lots of variety of food items prepared with love and devotion were offered to God.

Pandit Shri Harishchandraji Kulkarni performed Mahalaxmi Punchkundiya Mahayagnam, Anirudhji sang melodious bhajans. Gau Shala was founded 24 years ago by 84-year-old Dharamraj Ranka, the jewel-turned-philanthropist who dedicated his life to the protection of cows. It shelters over 6000 cows, calves and bullocks (all rescued from slaughter houses) located on 8 acres of land, 80,000 sq. ft of RCC Sheds house these cows. It has two Goushalas—Satyam Shivam Sundaram Gau Nivas at Gaganpahad and Satyam Shivam Sundaram Gaukendra at Burjugadda. The cows here are given royal treatment. They are not milked and left to calves.

The cow dung is given away to farmers as biological manure at a throwaway price. It is the best-maintained cow shelter in the entire India. 100 people are employed to take care of them, and Rs 70 lakh a month is spent on running and maintaining it.

Ranka has dedicated his life to the cause. The 84years Dharam Raj Ranka is a one-man army with a difference is on a mission to protect India’s most revered animal cow, rescuing from the jaws of death from slaughterhouses and running two Goshalas, sheltering 6,000 cows for the past 24 years. As a matter of principle, Dharam Raj Ranka stopped wearing footwear for the past 23 years. Undeterred by the cold, he freely moves everywhere without chappal and travels only in Auto.