The Gaushala is making 'rakhis' out of cow dung.
A local cow shelter in Bijnore district called 'Shri Krishna Gaushala, is doing the unimaginable.
The Gaushala is making 'rakhis' out of cow dung.
Alka Lahoti, a 52-year-old NRI who quit her job in Indonesia to help her father with his cow shelter, is heading the initiative.
"I am associated with Juna Akhara and had gone to the Kumbh event this year where I displayed my rakhis. Our product was well received. The saints there asked me to make such type of rakhis for the public. Then I contacted other experts and discussed the matter with them. So far, I have received orders from Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Odisha. I have prepared thousands of rakhis for the upcoming festival," she said.
Describing the process of manufacturing, Alka said, "First, we prepare a template of different shapes and sizes, and then we put the raw cow dung into these templates and store it in a cool and dark place. Once it becomes dry, we then decorate it with eco-friendly colours and use threads instead of plastic ones. Contrary to the Chinese rakhis, our rakhis are eco-friendly. They can be decomposed and turned into manure after their use."