Alison and Morgan are back from our vegan tour of India, and today’s show is dedicated to India and the animals of this spectacular and special country.
But first to start, we announce a giveaway of vegan Vancouver musician Risa’s new CD album R & Be. If you are able to claim your prize from our station in downtown Vancouver and would like a chance to win this cd, please send us an email at radioanimalvoices@gmail.com and we will announce the winner later this month!
And then Aylon and Alissa present a review of last weekend’s Animal Advocacy Camp in Vancouver.
VegNews Great Adventure to India 2012
The 3rd annual VegNews Great Adventure to India – in conjunction with VegVoyages – took place over 12 adventure-packed days last month, and Animal Voices’ Alison and Morgan were fortuitous enough to take part in this vegan and animal-friendly journey that started us in the nation’s capital of Delhi and continued throughout the state of Rajasthan, making stops to numerous sites to be seen and experiences of a lifetime to be had that were an adventurer’s and animal lover’s dream come true.
Alison and Morgan give an account of their vegan trip to India and talk about the different activities and experiences that the experience was comprised of: numerous interactions with animals, unbeatable authentic and plant-based Indian food, immersion into the Indian lifestyle, and a more accurate understanding and gain of perspective of how others live in this completely different world than the one we are used to.
If you are interested in learning more about VegNews magazine’s upcoming vacation adventures, visit www.vegnews.com/vacations or join this Facebook group.
R.K. Singh, The Role of the Sacred Cow in India
R.K. Singh, also known as “Singhji”, was our one of our very friendly and knowledgeable tour guides in India and he hails from India and brought to us a wealth of expertise on all aspects of the Indian culture, including that of vegetarianism and the Indians’ philosophy and way of life with regards to animals. One of the most dominating aspects of our trip was the presence of the cow in India. The cows are everywhere and they certainly play an integral role in the society of the Indians.
In this interview, Singhji shares perspective to explain the mindset of the Indian society with regards to its view of the sacredness of cows and animals in general. To Indians, the cow is seen as a symbol of the Earth, that is always giving and representing life, and thus is honoured and respected in a way that is completely unheard of here in North America as well in as other societies. We learn about the various ways that Indians use cows in their lifestyles; how many cows are sent to sanctuaries known as “gowsalas” when they no longer are of use; and the strict vegetarian lifestyle that certain sub-societies in India, such as the Jains in the city of Palitana, adhere to when it comes to respect for animals.
Here is a video that depicts the typical various landscapes of India with cows:
Click here to listen to this podcast.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download