This Too Shall Pass

Praveen Togadia is the brand ambassador of a line of cow urine-based cosmetic products

Praveen Togadia, the international general secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), is the brand ambassador for a whole new range of beauty products manufactured by the VHP using cow urine and extracts of cow dung.

The company, called Gou Brands Private Limited, was launched this September in Gujarat. Its range of products includes shampoo, soap, hair oil, creams, face packs and aftershave lotion.  All VHP units across India will market the products. This is intriguing for two reasons. Glamour has not been Togadia’s strong suit. And one would expect the VHP to have qualms about using the cow, which it considers sacrosanct, for commercial gain. Togadia, however, says he is not doing it to become a supermodel or earn money, but to protect old cows.

“Cows are killed off once they get old and no longer provide milk. But this is a way of keeping them useful and saving them from the butcher’s knife,” Togadia says.

Speaking about the manufacturing, Togadia says, “We provide the goushalas (cow shelters) with a formula. There is no compromise in the quality of the products.”

Togadia claims the company has made sales of Rs 35 lakh. “The benefits of cow urine are known. Therefore, the products appeal to those who want natural products.”

The VHP is keen on getting as many goushalas as possible within the purview of the beauty endeavour. As the waste used in the manufacturing of the products will be gathered from goushalas, farmers too stand to gain from the venture. They will get Rs 50 per day, per cow. Currently, nearly 200 goushalas are associated with the Gou Brand chain in Gujarat.

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Haima Deshpande