Close X
Monday, January 20, 2025
ADVT 
National

Cow Dung Patties Selling Like Hot Cakes Online in India

IANS, 28 Dec, 2015 12:44 PM
    With the holiday season in full swing, Indians are flocking to the online marketplace in droves. But there’s one unusual item flying off the virtual shelves: Online retailers say cow dung patties are selling like hot cakes.
     
    The patties — cow poop mixed with hay and dried in the sun, made mainly by women in rural areas and used to fuel fires — have long been available in India’s villages. But online retailers including Amazon and eBay are now reaching out to the country’s ever-increasing urban population.
     
    Some retailers say they’re offering discounts for large orders. Some customers are asking for gift wrapping.
     
    “Cow dung cakes have been listed by multiple sellers on our platform since October and we have received several customer orders” since then, said Madhavi Kochar, an Amazon India spokeswoman.
     
    The orders come mostly from cities where it would be difficult to buy dung cakes, she said.
     
    In India, where Hindus have long worshipped cows as sacred, cow dung cakes have been used for centuries for fires, whether for heating, cooking or Hindu rituals. Across rural India, piles of drying cow dung are ubiquitous.
     
    Radhika Agarwal of ShopClues, a major online retailer in India, said demand for the cow dung cakes spiked during the recent Diwali season, a time when Hindus conduct prayer ceremonies at their homes, factories and offices. On a recent day, ShopClues’ website showed that the patties had sold out.
     
    “Around Diwali, when people do a lot of pujas in their homes and workplaces, there is a lot of demand for cow dung cakes,” said Agarwal, referring to rituals performed during the popular festival.
     
    “Increasingly, in the cold weather, people are keeping themselves warm by lighting fires” using them, she said, adding that people who grew up in rural areas find the peaty smell of dung fires pleasant.
     
    “It reminds them of the old days,” she said.
     
    The cakes are sold in packages that contain two to eight pieces weighing 200 grams (7 ounces) each. Prices range from 100 to 400 rupees.
     
    Dung cakes are also used as organic manure, and some sellers are marketing them for use in kitchen gardens.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Strain Of E. Coli Tied To Costco Chicken Salad Is More Dangerous Than Recent Chipotle Outbreak

    Health officials urged people who bought chicken salad at any U.S. Costco store on or before Friday to throw it away, even if no one has gotten sick.

    Strain Of E. Coli Tied To Costco Chicken Salad Is More Dangerous Than Recent Chipotle Outbreak

    Saskatchewan Gets Failing Grade On Moving To Reduce Tobacco Consumption

    Saskatchewan Gets Failing Grade On Moving To Reduce Tobacco Consumption
    REGINA — The Opposition NDP is calling on the government of Premier Brad Wall to take more steps to reduce tobacco consumption in Saskatchewan.

    Saskatchewan Gets Failing Grade On Moving To Reduce Tobacco Consumption

    Syrian Refugee Population Expected To Face Mental Health Challenges

    Dr. Kwame McKenzie, a psychiatrist with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, says challenges for newcomers often stretch far beyond post-traumatic stress disorder following time in war zones or refugee camps.

    Syrian Refugee Population Expected To Face Mental Health Challenges

    United Way Launches Appeal In British Columbia To Assist Syrian Refugees

    United Way Launches Appeal In British Columbia To Assist Syrian Refugees
    United Way of the Lower Mainland says 40 per cent of the new arrivals will be children under 18 and will require settlement and community integration support as they adjust to life in Canada.

    United Way Launches Appeal In British Columbia To Assist Syrian Refugees

    Big Corporate Christmas Parties On The Outs In Calgary As Oil Downturn Continues

    Big Corporate Christmas Parties On The Outs In Calgary As Oil Downturn Continues
    CALGARY — The era of the big-ticket corporate holiday bash appears to be on life support in Calgary.

    Big Corporate Christmas Parties On The Outs In Calgary As Oil Downturn Continues

    After Feasting On One-goal Wins Last Season, Close Isn't Cutting It For Canucks

    The club feasted on one-goal victories in its return to the playoffs last season, finishing with a 22-9 record in those games, good for second in the NHL.

    After Feasting On One-goal Wins Last Season, Close Isn't Cutting It For Canucks