Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Shanta Kumar has appealed to the state government to pass a law making it mandatory for major temples to operate cow shelters (gaushalas). He said the growing population and rising number of vehicles have turned stray cattle on roads into a serious safety hazard, causing frequent accidents and loss of lives.

Why temples should run cow shelters

Kumar argued that major temples in Himachal Pradesh have large financial assets, making them capable of funding and managing cow shelters. He cited six major shrines:

• Mata Chintpurni

• Mata Naina Devi

• Mata Jwalamukhi

• Mata Chamunda Devi

• Mata Brajeshwari Devi (Kangra)

• Baba Balak Nath Ji

These six temples together hold assets worth around ₹2,000 crore, including:

• ₹85 crore in cash

• ₹300 crore in fixed deposits

• ₹500 crore in gold

• ₹200 crore in silver

He added that 36 temples are under government control, all with assets worth crores.

Potential impact

According to Kumar, giving major temples the legal responsibility to run cow shelters could make Himachal Pradesh the first state with no stray cattle on roads.

He urged Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to take this “bold and historic” step, saying it would not only address the stray animal issue but also strengthen the tradition of cow protection in Hinduism and increase the temples’ spiritual and social contribution.