Cow dung

Cow dung, also known ascow pats,cow pies,cow pooporcow manure, is thewaste product(faeces) ofbovineanimal species. These species include domesticcattle("cows"),bison("buffalo"),yak, andwater buffalo. Cow dung is the undigested residue of plant matter which has passed through the animal's gut. The resultantfaecal matteris rich inminerals. Color ranges from greenish to blackish, often darkening soon after exposure toair.
In many parts of the old world, and in the past in mountain regions of Europe, caked anddried cow dungis used asfuel. In India, it is dried into cake like shapes calleduplaorkanda, and used as replacement for firewood for cooking inchulah(traditionalkitchen stove).
Dung may also be collected and used to producebiogasto generateelectricityand heat. The gas is rich inmethaneand is used in rural areas ofIndiaandPakistanand elsewhere to provide a renewable and stable (but unsustainable) source of electricity.
Cow dung, which is usually a dark brown color, is often used asmanure(agriculturalfertilizer). If not recycled into the soil by species such as earthworms anddung beetles, cow dung can dry out and remain on the pasture, creating an area of grazing land which is unpalatable to livestock.
Cow dung is nowadays used for making flower and plant pots. It is plastic free, biodegradable and eco-friendly. Unlike plastic grow bags which harm nature, cow dung pots dissolves naturally and becomes excellent manure for the plant.From 20 July 2020,State GovernmentofChhattisgarhIndia started buying cow dung under theGodhan Nyay Yojanascheme. Cow dung procured under this scheme will be utilised for the production ofvermicompostfertilizer.
Cow dung is used in Hinduyajnaritual as an important ingredient.Cow dung is also used in the making ofpancha-gavya, for use in Hindu rituals.Several Hindu texts - includingYājñavalkya SmṛtiandManusmṛti-  state that the pancha-gavya purifies many sins.TheMahabharatanarrates a story about howLakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, came to reside in cow dung. In the legend, Lakshmi asks cows to let her live in their bodies because they are pure and sinless. The cows refuse, describing her as unstable and fickle. Lakshmi begs them to accept her request, saying that others would ridicule her for being rejected by the cows, and agreeing to live in the most despised part of their body. The cows then allow her to live in their dung and urine.
The Tantric Buddhist ritual manualsJayavatī-nāma-mahāvidyārāja-dhāraṇīandMahāvairocanābhisaṃbodhirecommend use of cow dung to purifymandalaaltars.
In several cultures, cow dung is traditionally used to coat floors and walls. In parts of Africa, floors of rural huts are smeared with cow dung: this is believed to improve interior hygiene and repel insects.This practice has various names, such as "ukusinda" inXhosa,and "gwaya" inRuruuli-Lunyala.
Similarly, in India, floors are traditionally smeared with cow dung to clean and smoothen them.Purananurugenerally dated 150 BCEmentions women of Tamil Nadu smear cow dung on the floors at the 13th day after her husband's death to purify the house.Italian travelerPietro Della Valle, who visited India in 1624, observed that the locals - including Christians - smeared floor with cow dung to purify it and repel insects.Tryambaka'sStrī-dharma-paddhati(18th century), which narrates a modified version of theMahabharatalegend about how the goddessLakshmicame to reside in cow dung, instructs women to make their homes pure and prosperous by coating them with cow-dung.Many among modern generations have challenged this practice as unclean.
In 2021, the Government of India'sKhadi and Village Industries Commissionlaunched the Khadi Prakritik paint, which has cow dung as its main ingredient, promoting it as an eco-friendly paint with anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.
In central Africa,Maasaivillages have burned cow dung inside to repelmosquitos. In cold places, cow dung is used to line the walls of rustic houses as a cheapthermal insulator. Villagers in India spray fresh cow dung mixed with water in front of the houses to repel insects.
In Rwanda, it is used in an art form calledimigongo.
Cow dung is also an optional ingredient in the manufacture of adobemud brickhousing depending on the availability of materials at hand.
A deposit of cow dung is referred to in American English as a "cow pie" or less commonly "cow chip" (usually when dried) and in British English as a "cowpat".When dry, it is used in the practice of "cow chip throwing" popularized inBeaver, Oklahomain 1970.On April 21, 2001 Robert Deevers ofElgin, Oklahoma, set the record for cow chip throwing with a distance of 185 feet 5 inches (56.52 m).
Cow dung provides food for a wide range of animal and fungus species, which break it down and recycle it into thefood chainand into thesoil.
In areas where cattle (or other mammals with similar dung) are not native, there are often also no native species which can break down their dung, and this can lead to infestations of pests such as flies and parasitic worms. InAustralia,dung beetlesfrom elsewhere have been introduced to help recycle the cattle dung back into the soil. (see theAustralian Dung Beetle Projectand Dr.George Bornemissza).
Cattle have a natural aversion to feeding around their own dung. This can lead to the formation of taller ungrazed patches of heavily fertilized sward. These habitat patches, termed "islets", can be beneficial for many grassland arthropods, including spiders (Araneae) and bugs (Hemiptera). They have an important function in maintaining biodiversity in heavily utilized pastures.
Abuffalo chip, also called ameadow muffin, is the name for a large, flat, dried piece ofdungdeposited by theAmerican bison. Well dried buffalo chips were among the few things that could be collected and burned on theprairieand were used by thePlains Indians,settlers and pioneers, andhomesteadersas a source of cooking heat and warmth.
Bison dung is sometimes referred to by the namenik-nik. This word is a borrowing from theSioux language(which probably originally borrowed it from a northern source). In modern Sioux,nik-nikcan refer to the feces of any bovine, including domestic cattle. It has also come to be used, especially inLakota, to refer to lies or broken promises, analogously to the vulgar English term "bullshit" as a figure of speech.