While the scorching coastal weather drains everyone, a kine of 16 cattle being reared on the city outskirts by Jagadish Kotian seem to be oblivious to the energy-sapping heat outside.
At ‘Janani’, the sprawling 30-acre farm owned by Kotian at Beeri near Kotekar in Mangalore, bovines — 12 cows and six bulls — wallow in luxury.
Kotian, proprietor of Janani Tours and Resorts, Bangalore, has spent a hefty Rs 20 lakh on a spacious cowshed for his pets, that has sliding mosquito nets on windows with tinted glass, CFL tubes, ceiling fans and air coolers, too, to help beat the heat.
Kotian has installed speakers in all four corners of the shed for his cattle to listen to classical music by maestros, while chewing on freshly cut fodder and organically grown bananas.
Kotian told Deccan Herald that he bought the farm about six years ago and the cows came with the property. “There were as many as sixteen cattle living in a ramshackle shed. Their plight was disheartening. Since all of them were indigenous breeds, I wanted to take care of them,” says Kotian. His frequent tours abroad, he adds, have given him ideas to experiment new things for his pets.
“In Switzerland, cattle-rearing is a passion and not a profession. They provide the best of the facilities to cattle. I was impressed by the system there and I felt that even I should replicate it and see the changes,” says Kotian.
Before venturing into the construction of a comfortable shed for his new acquisitions, he surfed the internet and found that classical music could have a positive impact on the bovines.
“Classical music CDs are played in the morning and evening. The change is palpable. The cows look more healthy and the yield of milk has increased,” says Kotian.
The cattle are now so used to listening to music, there is a perceptive change in their mood when the music is turned off, he adds.
“By the way, Kadri Gopalnath and Praveen Godkhindi’s jugalbandi are their favourite,” says Kotian who spends quality time with the cattle whenever he is in town.
Apart from the cattle, three canine friends of Kotian have also got lucky. The transport magnate has provided them a spacious kennel with coolers, too.
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