The Madras Pinjrapole set to become a landmark

The ‘goushala’ is being renovated at a cost of Rs. 30 crore. Photo: K. Pichumani

The Madras Pinjrapole in Otteri, home to thousands of frail and abandoned cows, is all set to be converted into a modern cow shelter.

After renovation at a cost of Rs. 30 crore, the shelter will get temperature-controlled sheds, watering holes, individual feeding bays and a separate drying area for cow dung.

Mahendra Parmar, secretary, The Madras Pinjrapole, said normally, cow shelters are filled with the overpowering stench of cow dung and urine. But once renovated, the sprawling ‘goushala’ in the heart of the city will become a north Chennai landmark, he said.

As part of the modernisation project, 20 individual cow shelters have been proposed, of which eight have already been completed.

The shelters, built with corrugated steel sheets to maintain low temperatures, will have tiled pathways for feeding the cows, channels for collecting urine and rainwater harvesting facility.

Trustees of The Madras Pinjrapole have also planned to build a temple in the middle of an unused pond on the premises, an airconditioned prayer hall, new accommodations for workers, a veterinary dispensary and a fort-like archway.

The highlight of the project will be the construction of a glory tower and the greening of vacant space spread over more than 1,00,000 sq. ft.

V.N. Damani, trust member, said the aim behind modernising the cow shelter is to attract more people, particularly children, to visit the ‘goushala’.

The Madras Pinjrapole, that began functioning in 1906, houses more than 2,000 cows, 90 per cent of which have been abandoned due to ill health and/or old age.

The first set of modern cow shelters will be inaugurated on Sunday.