No ropes, absolute freedom, fresh green fodder, nutrient-rich meals, and specialised medical care—this is Dakshina Vrindavan, a slice of heaven on earth for nearly 1,000 cattle. Spread across a sprawling 12.5-acre property in Eruthempathy Koundankalath, Palakkad, this sanctuary is the brainchild of two childhood friends, Adv Ashwin Sampathkumaran, 35, a lawyer practising in the Karnataka High Court, and Shankar Ramavarma, 35, a software engineer from Kochi. Classmates from their school days at Kendriya Vidyalaya Kanjikode, the duo embarked on this compassionate journey 12 years ago with the rescue of a single male calf.

The life-changing moment arrived on 15 January 2014, during the festive occasion of Mattu Pongal. Ashwin and Shankar had gone to feed the cows at a friend's house in Kanjikode. Seeing a playful, months-old male calf running around the courtyard, they enquired about it, only to learn that it was bound for the slaughterhouse. Unable to bear the thought, they bought the calf on the spot and entrusted its care to a friend. Sometime later, they had a similar encounter in Madurai and rescued another calf. As word spread, the duo began rescuing abandoned and injured cattle left to fend for themselves. Families reluctant to send their ageing dairy cows to slaughter began handing them over, as did major temples across Kerala.

As the number of rescued animals grew, space became a constraint. In 2019, a generous friend purchased land to house the cattle, laying the foundation for what is now Dakshina Vrindavan. Today, around 1,000 cattle live a life of comfort and dignity here, cared for by a dedicated team of 42 employees. Uniquely, none of the cows at this sanctuary are milked.

A family of 500 sponsors
What began as a passion project was later registered as a trust, which now includes seven other members, such as Satheesan Namboothiripad, US-based Deepak Shankar, Rajeev Menon, KR Sundararaghavan, M Mukundan, Kanchana Hariharan, and Ramesh Keralavarma. With daily operational expenses reaching nearly ₹1 lakh, the founders introduced a unique 'surrogate care' programme. This connects animal welfare enthusiasts who want to raise cows but lack the space or resources with cows at the sanctuary. Today, around 500 families sponsor the care of 500 cows, naming them Ganga, Kaveri, Balaram, or Rudra, often in memory of loved ones. These sponsors pay for their upkeep and visit the sanctuary annually.

Premium nutrition and a specialised hospital
At Dakshina Vrindavan, commercial cattle feed is strictly avoided. Instead, the cows are fed a nutritious blend of nine ingredients, including green grass, peanut cake, coconut cake, black gram bran, and wheat bran. Fresh maize fodder is regularly sourced from Satyamangalam, while straw is reserved only for sick cattle. Recognising that transporting injured cows 100 km to the veterinary college in Mannuthy for diagnostics like X-rays was impractical, the trust built a dedicated hospital ward on-site. The facility features sand-covered flooring, secure metal enclosures for treatment, and round-the-clock service from three resident veterinary doctors.

Sustainability through eco-friendly initiatives
To ensure self-reliance, the sanctuary processes cow dung into value-added products like holy ash (bhasmam), incense sticks (sambrani), and eco-friendly firewood briquettes. Using a custom-designed machine, these organic briquettes are produced as a green alternative to traditional firewood, promoting environmental sustainability while helping fund the noble cause.