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In Honour of Sacred Cattle
In Honour of Sacred Cattle
In many parts of the world, cattle are seen not merely as sources of meat, milk, and skin, but as special animals worthy of respect and admiration. South African photographer Daniel Naudé’s book, Sightings of the Sacred, shows why, with images of magnificent species in Uganda, Madagascar, and India.
Naudé began working on the book when he read an article about the Ankole cattle of Uganda. The Ankole, which sport enormous curved horns, have been a source of livelihood for the Bahima people for hundreds of years, but due to economic pressures, many Bahima have begun breeding them with American Holstein cows to produce more milk. As a result, the article noted, the Ankole could be extinct in 40 years.
In Madagascar, he photographed Zebu cattle, which are revered for their usefulness in agriculture and their traditional connection to the divine. In India, he photographed the Mattu Pongal festival, for which cattle are decorated with colorful paint and bells to express gratitude to the gods after the harvesting season.
While the species have distinct physical characteristics, Naudé found something similar in their countenance that seemed to indicate a shared sentience. In his photos, this quality is unmistakable. “My travels to India, Madagascar and Uganda brought me a new understanding of the ancient lineages that connect the cattle. I also became aware of a connection that remains visible in their bearing, a stance they carry to this day, regardless of their homelands. I sensed in these cattle something that is measured less in bloodline and physicality, more in terms of conscious awareness.”
If you, too, can sense the divinity in these glorious animals, it's time to cut beef from your diet. Fortunately, that is easy to do with the help of http://KindMeal.my. Check out our compassionate, meat-free alternatives today.
Source: http://goo.gl/pNhuFg
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