Written by Bhaktin Dian Damayanti
An obituary comes from Sri Sri Radha-Govinda Ashram, Bogor, Indonesia. We lost one of our Goshala cows. A cow named Surabhi, died at the age 15 because of old age. Few weeks before, Surabhi’s appetite had been decreased. Mother Surabhi was a female cow, that was before the main source of pure milk for daily offering to Sri Sri Radha-Govinda.
Since Saturday, a day before, Mother Surabhi had been lying faintly in goshala, cannot even moving her feet. This scene made all resident of Sri Sri Radha Govinda Ashram also grieving, realised that Mother Surabhi was no longer in this material world. In the day when she leaving, devotees soon dug for the grave, still in the goshala area. Not only devotees, neighbours, who are original residents in the village, also came to say their condolences. They also helped to dig the hole.
Before burial, devotees put garland to Surabhi’s neck and washed her body. The funeral was going peacefully. Devotees prayed many prayers and did kirtan. Other cows also looked so sad. They just stood, saw what happened to Mother Surabhi.
Now, there is one cow at Sri Sri Radha Govinda Goshala, and three bulls.