On Friday, a flier advertising a gaumutra (cow urine) party went viral on social media. The flier claimed the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha would be organising a gaumutra party at its office at Mandir Marg in Delhi on Saturday. The flier claimed the event was being organised to neutralise effects of novel coronavirus.
By Saturday afternoon, images and videos of the gaumutra party had emerged. Some showed participants, including Hindu Mahasabha chief Swami Chakrapani Maharaj, drinking cow urine. In addition, participants were also served panchagavya, a traditional Hindu ritual mixture made of cow dung, urine, milk, curd and ghee.
Reuters reported that nearly 200 people attended the gaumutra party. Chakrapani even posed with a spoon filled with cow urine near a caricature of the coronavirus.
In the run-up to the gaumutra party, Chakrapani had told media groups there was need to create "awareness” on how cow urine and cow dung and other cow products can help eliminate coronavirus.
Chakrapani told The Print, "Just like we organise tea parties, we have decided to organise a gaumutra party, wherein we will inform people about what is coronavirus and how, by consuming cow-related products, people can be saved from it."
Chakrapani claimed the use of cow products would lead to the immediate death of the coronavirus.
Chakrapani told The Print the Hindu Mahasabha had plans to hold more such 'gaumutra' parties across the country.
Chakrapani had alleged the coronavirus came to India after listening to "animals' cry for help", arguing that the virus was punishment for consumption of non-vegetarian food.
Actor Richa Chadha tweeted about the gaumutra party on Friday night, asking, "who's actually getting pissed drunk at this party! Glug glug cheers!?”
In February, Chakrapani had advocated a ban on cow slaughter and a ritual based on burning of loban (gum resin) set on cow dung to prevent coronavirus. The gum resin must come from the Indian bdellium tree (common names include gugal, gugul, or Mukul myrrh).
"The ensuing smoke from this process should be spread through every room of one’s home with chants of 'Om Namah Shivay', the Gayatri Mantra or the Mahamritunjaya chant," he added.