After seeing these two cows, and one other earlier in the week, while in Jaipur I had some curiosity to satisfy. Clearly these cows wearing capes and head coverings were special. They were holy cows according to our driver. When I asked what made them holy his response was "the cape." Of course. How silly of me. But what I really wanted to know is what made these cows holier than the ones I regularly see walking down the street. So when I got home it was time for an internet search. Along the way I learned a bit about why cows are considered holy here - particularly the ones with a hump on their back. It is believed that there is a tie between Lord Krishna and cows, particularly the surabhi cow, a wish fulfilling cow, that descended from the heavenly spheres. There is also a connection to motherhood, as they are a type of surrogate which provides milk for life. Sadly, at no point could I find any information about holier cows, or cows in capes led by holy men. So I'm left with what little I gleaned from our driver. That people pay the holy man to walk his cow in circles in front of their house for a blessing; while others are paid to walk between towns as a form of prayer. My conclusion - it is the cape that makes it a holy cow.
