German volunteer in India seeks land for cow burials

Friederike Irina Bruning popularly known as Sudevi Mataji has dedicated her life to save and protect abandoned cows in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. She was awarded Padma Sri in 2019 by the government of India.

Mathura:Friederike Irina Bruning popularly known as Sudevi Mataji who has been in India for 41 years and serves cows in Uttar Pradesh's Govardhan selflessly is now running pillar to post to get clearance for more land in order to bury the dead bovines.

The German native has dedicated her life to protect, save, and serve the abandoned cows in Mathura for which she was awarded Padma Sri in 2019 by the government of India.

Bruning is now serving at Radha Kund cow shelter and says there isn't enough space to bury the dead cows on top of which a temple right in front of the cow shelter has filed a case against them in the High Court in the name of Public nuisance.

"We save abandoned cows from everywhere, some of these cows are sick, and we also get cows injured from accidents. Although we try and save them, sometimes they die. Since we do not have any place to bury them, we have to do so in a nearby cow shelter. But, then comes the foul smell from the dead cow," says Bruning.

The social worker during her time in India has learned Hindi and says all she requests from the District Magistrate is to provide a place of samadhi for the cows.

She says, earlier, she was assured by the district authorities that they would be allotted a place but nothing concrete has come as of now.