Do you know what dung-cake is? Now a days it can be seen on e commerce website. it is good to have trending demand of dung cake which find its place on commercial website like flipchart, amazon etc. Cow dung and dung cake is being used in India since long as it has various cultural as well as scientific relevance in terms of its usage.
India is known for its agriculturally based economy where majority of the population has dependency on farming and cultivation. It also includes dairy farming or livestock farming. The combination of word bread and butter can be correlated from the fact that, by practicing farming one can earn bread where as by livestock they can add butter as well. These practices are very common in Indian agriculture where all the direct product like cereals and by products like cow dung is utilized for daily usage.
In this blog we will focus our discussion on usage of Cow dung only.
What is Cow Dung?
Cowdung is a waste product of bovine animals usually it is a combination of soiled bedding and urine. It is an organic product which has a mild plant like fragrance. It has usage in various day to day activities, we have highlighted few of them in below sections
As Organic Fertilizer or Manure
Cowdung is cheaper and environmentally friendly Organic Manure which can be added to soil to increase nitrogen fixation capacity. The Cowdung has three main nutrients- 11 percent nitrogen, 10 percent potassium, 4 percent phosphorous. Amongst which nitrogen is the most important for plants growth. The dung needs to be (compost) which means to rot first to be free from dangerous bacteria, seeds and weeds, ammonia which all disrupt the growth of plants.
- Gobar Gas
Gobar gas is also known as “Bio gas”. Its main components are animal dung along with some other organic matter like dead remains of plants and animals. It consists of 55 – 70% of methane which is highly inflammable. In villages it is used for cooking, electricity generating and other purposes. Usually it is produced by the anaerobic digestion or fermentation of biodegradable materials such as cow dung, green waste, plant material, and crops.
- Mud pots using Cowdung
Cowdung is also used in making pots which has no harm as the regular pots which are very slow in the absorption of water which therefore sustains leaching of nutrients. The dung pots are binded with other natural ingredients thus causing resistant to pests. The dung is also used in making soaps which in turn defends various skin diseases; leprosy, acne, pimples and many more. It can be considered as a non-organic soap for ablutions.
- Dung and Mud Wall
Have you seen ayurvedic clinic now a days or farm house where they make you feel like you are in village? They create an ambience of village where you can find huts made up of mud walls and floors specifically produced using the mud coated with cow dung. These structures are very common in villages across the country as people are still using mud wall for making their home. Now a day’s rapid urbanisation and change in housing pattern results in conversion of mud wall with bricks. Floor and walls are coated using solution of dung and mud which in in turn prevents the transmission of atmospheric heat inside the house results in cool temperature inside.
- Dung Cake
In India the dung cakes are burnt in a huge amount on the festival of “Holi”. The gas emitted purifies the air making it nonbacterial, thus saving us from many diseases. The making of the dung pots further employs many in the rural areas. Dung cake is being used in various mythological activities such as fire sacrifices (Hawan) and in various ceremonial activities. It is believed that the burning the dung cake creates a pure and healthy atmosphere. The scientific view is that the microbes available in air may be reduced due to smoke produce due to burning of dung cakes.
Dung Cakes and various other products such as manure, mud pots etc are now available online for sale. Various websites can be referred for online purchase such as www.amazon.in www.indiamart.com www.gaurashtra.com www.shopclues.com www.rewasaran.com