Reviving Gau Sanskriti for a Sustainable Future
In an age where the world is searching for sustainable solutions to environmental crises, climate change, and rural economic instability, ancient wisdom often holds the key to the future. India’s traditional Gau Sanskriti — a cow-centric culture rooted in harmony with nature — offers one such model.The journey of Gomay Kala, an innovative art and enterprise that transforms cow dung into eco-friendly artistic products, began not in a modern laboratory or industrial facility, but in a humble rural household.Its beginning can be traced back to a ₹400 mold, a farmer’s son, and a deep connection with nature.
Growing Up Close to Nature
I was born in 1989 in Mugan village of Rohtak district in Haryana, India, into a farming family. In 1990, our family moved to Mewla Farm in Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh, where many families from our extended community had already settled.Life in the village meant growing up surrounded by fields, animals, seasons, and natural rhythms. My childhood was deeply influenced by this environment.From an early age, I felt a natural attraction toward nature, agriculture, and environmental balance. I often told my father that I wanted to practice farming in my own way and experiment with new ideas. But at that stage, my parents encouraged me to focus on education.
Early Signs of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Even as a child, I enjoyed building things and experimenting with ideas.When I was studying in class five, my uncle opened a small grocery store in front of our house. During the summer vacation, I asked him if I could manage the shop during the day. We agreed on a pocket money of ₹10 per day.While working there, I noticed that small grocery items were packed in paper envelopes that my uncle bought from the nearby city of Kashipur. I suggested that since I was already sitting in the shop all day, I could make those envelopes myself.We fixed the rate at ₹10 for 100 envelopes, and within a month I had earned ₹600, the first money I ever earned through my own effort.This experience planted the seeds of entrepreneurial thinking in my mind.
A Curious Mind That Loved Experiments
My curiosity often led me to experiment with everyday problems.In our village, electricity supply was unreliable. During summer nights, we slept in the courtyard, but whenever it rained we had to move our beds indoors.To solve this inconvenience, I installed bearings under one of my beds, allowing it to roll easily. With a small push, the bed could slide inside the house. This simple innovation became widely discussed in the village.At another time, a peppermint oil extraction unit was installed in our village. Fascinated by the process, I built a small working model of the unit using empty paint containers and even managed to extract a little peppermint oil.I also had a habit of collecting broken or discarded objects from places where villagers dumped cow dung and household waste, locally known in Haryana as “Kurdi.” I would often visit these places and gather old or broken materials, trying to create something new from them.At that time, it was simply a childhood curiosity, and many people in the village found it strange. Sometimes my mother would even scold me for wandering around those places. But today, after starting the Gomay Kala startup, I realize something very meaningful — perhaps my childhood instinct was unknowingly guiding me toward the very place where my future work would begin. The same cow dung that people saw as waste later became the foundation of Gomay Kala, turning a forgotten resource into art, products, and a vision for sustainable rural enterprise.
A Turning Point in 2008
In 1999, my father moved to the United States, and a few years later my elder brother joined him.By 2008, plans were being made for me to move to the United States as well. My brother came back to India to complete the formalities so that we could travel together.But on 6 March 2008, the day of Maha Shivratri, my life changed dramatically.While riding my motorcycle to pick up my brother from Kashipur, I met with a severe accident involving a bullock cart. The accident left one person severely injured and caused serious injuries to me as well.After months of medical treatment and recovery, it became clear that my plans to go abroad would not materialize.Looking back, that accident turned out to be a life-defining moment that redirected my path toward something far more meaningful.
Rediscovering Gau Sanskriti
Years later, around 2017, my parents suggested that we start cow rearing and milk production.While researching this field, I discovered the difference between indigenous Indian cows and foreign breeds. Around the same time, I came across lectures by Rajiv Dixit, which introduced me to the deeper philosophy of Indian culture and Gau Sanskriti.This knowledge opened a completely new perspective for me.