Pune: Marking the revered Hindu festival of Vasubaras, citizens in Pune and across Maharashtra worship the sacred cow and her calf as an expression of gratitude and respect.

Celebrated with the same spirit as the 'Bailpola', where farmers pay homage to their bullocks, Vasubaras is dedicated to the cow, considered a symbol of prosperity and nourishment in Hindu culture.

The festival falls on the twelfth day (Dwadashi) before Diwali, with “Vasu” meaning wealth and “Baras” indicating the twelfth day.

Traditionally, on the morning of Vasubaras, women in rural homes wash the feet of the cow and her calf as part of the worship.

In urban areas, where sightings of cows are rare, communities organize collective worship ceremonies, allowing citizens to celebrate the festival together. According to mythology, Vasubaras honors Nanda, one of five divine cows (Kamdhenu) born from the churning of the ocean.

Known as a symbol of health and nourishment, cow products such as milk, ghee, and dung hold special medicinal significance in Indian culture. Recognizing the cultural and therapeutic value of cows, Vasubaras emphasizes gratitude towards the cow’s contributions to society.

During the worship, food offerings such as lentils, rice, and puran poli are prepared and served on banana leaves, symbolizing a respectful tribute to the cow. Unique to this celebration, dishes fried in oil or ghee, as well as cow’s milk, ghee, and buttermilk, are traditionally avoided on this day.

The festival reflects the Hindu belief in the sacredness of animals and nature, which play an integral role in Indian spirituality and culture. Through Vasubaras, people reconnect with these values, honoring the cow as a motherly figure that provides nourishment and support to humanity.