You might have come across gold plated cars, or chrome plated cars but Indians have got an entirely new idea. In recent years there is a new trend started in India to coat cars with cow dung for various reasons. However, the most popular reason of applying cow dung to cars is to keep them cool.
It all started in 2019, when a person named Rupesh Gauranga posted a photo on Facebook which he says was sent to him from a woman in the Western Indian city of Ahmedabad. Rupesh wrote:
“To counter 45 degrees heat temperatures and protect car from getting hot Mrs Sejal shah has plastered her car with cow dung. Getting cool”.
Related: The Toyota Corolla Coated with Cow Poop
In rural India, cow dung is often used as an inexpensive method of insulation. It’s commonplace for walls and floors to be intentionally coated with dung to keep the interior of a structure tepid in the harsh heat of summer or intense chill of winter. It’s also believed to be a natural disinfectant and mosquito repellent. However the practice now seems to be spreading out of the rural India and has been adapted by people of various walks of life.
Mrs Sejal’s Corolla wrapped in cow dung
A doctor named Navnath Dudhal from Kolhapur had coated his wedding car with cow dung. The doctor believes that cow dung can cure cancer and remove all other diseases from the human body, hence the opportunity to promote the use of cow dung. He also said that littering the vehicle with cow dung lowers the temperature in the cabin.
According to the doctor, it takes three buckets of water a day to wash the car, but applying a layer of cow dung also saves water. With the cow dung coat on the car, Dudhal says he wants to promote water conservation and protect the environment. Dr. Navnath Dudhal is a senior physician at Tata Cancer Hospital in Mumbai has applied 3 coats of cow dung on his new Mahindra XUV and says he stumbled across this idea because he regularly researches the benefits of cow urine for cancer patients.
Dr Navnath Dudhal with his Mahindra XUV coated with cow dung
Interestingly, there is no proven study or other review till date which suggests that cow dung helps keep a car cool. Regardless of its effectiveness, how much negative affect will this cast on the car’s body is yet unknown. Plus, how long will the dung coating last and how will the car smell inside & out is another interesting question that comes to the mind.
Other examples of cars coated with cow dung in India
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
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