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OCTOGENARIAN LOVER OF COWS |
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82-year-old Ammalu Amma’s love of cows is an enigma to her neighbours. Ammalu
Amma lives alone in a thatched hut in the middle of a 3˝ From
early morning when she gets up till the time she goes to sleep, her day is
devoted to the care and love of her cows.
Like a loving grandmother she has given them human names.
She gives grass, gruel, rice, coconut
chammanthi etc. When
a cow dies, she performs the last rites befitting a close relative’s
death. It
seems Ammalu Amma’s love for cows started when she was 12.
Once a cow gives birth to a calf, she doesn’t milk it.
All the milk is spared for the calf. The
neighbours came to know about her close bond with cows last year when a
cow died. She
told the labourers: “Do not drag the corpse.
Clean the body and cover it with a double dhothi.
And bury it with due solemnity.”
And they had to obey her. A
few months back she sold “Moly” for Rs. 1600.
Later she wondered what would happen to Molly once her milk-giving
days are over. With that
guilty feeling she bought back Molly for Rs. 2200. She
sells coconuts from her plot to buy hay.
Since coconuts do not fetch much money these days, she had to pawn
her bangles to feed her friends. Earlier
she had 8 cows, now there are only 3.
Courtesy: Mathrubhumi. Contributed by: Administrator |
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"Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned." |