Malnad Gidda

What is Malnad Gidda ?

Malnad Gidda is a very rare ancient and aboriginal A2 Breed Cow of the Indian Subcontinent. It is indigenous to mountainous region of Western Ghats and Coastal belt of Karnataka. Physically, they are a dwarf breed with short and stout build which has been specifically adapted to the Western Ghats. This build helps them climb the mountains and graze on this difficult terrain with ease. Western Ghats being one of the biodiversity hotspots with Rich Flora and fauna is home is a variety of ayurvedic and medicinal plants. Since this breed specifically grazes in the Western Ghats, it’s milk is highly revered in ayurvedic circles for it’s medicinal value. This breed is also highly disease resistant and adaptable to climate given its rich food intake of ayurvedic herbs and Medicinal plants.

As per latest research, Malnad Gidda’s milk is reported to contain highest amount of Lactoferrin among all the native breeds of India. Lactoferrin is a iron binding protein present in milk which has Anti-Microbial and Anti- cancerous properties and is key to develop immunity against diseases in humans especially newborns.

This is the reason, this breed is also highly revered in the religious texts and scriptures. One of the mutant variety of this breed is also known as Kapila cow which is a very rare holy cow with distinctive copper hue all over it’s body. Some major temples in southern India, including tirupati, breeds these Kapila cows for it’s milk which is the only pure milk used for the Abhishek of the main deity.

Subtle Qualities of this Breed are – High Intelligence among cows, Sober and Homely yet Adventurous, Compassion and Deep sense of attachment and loyalty. So much is it’s obedience to it’s master that most cows do not allow anyone else other than it’s master to milk the cows. Not to mention, most cows don’t even release milk when a machine is used to pump it’s milk out like how they do in commercial diaries.

In the olden days, it was a ritual for the elders of the house to pat the hump of these cows early in the morning. It was believed that the A2 cows had the innate intelligence to detect any viral or pathogenic load in the breath of its master. Then, they would go in search for those specific medicinal or ayurvedic herbs which would help fight those pathogens and eat them. The properties of those herbs would be present in the A2 milk the next day morning. It is a beautiful cyclical feedback mechanism which is exactly what the modern day medical science tells us about the advantages of breastfeeding a baby. The mothers body is capable of detecting pathogens through the saliva of the baby and produce anti-bodies for them specifically through breast milk. It is perhaps for this reason that in this Indo-Vedic Civilization, desi A2 cows have been given the stature of a mother or even higher than that.

But the disadvantage of this breed is that, they just produce 1-1.5 ltr milk per day which makes this breed financially unviable for most farmers. But then the best of things which nature has to offer to us is only available in very scare quantities. As per our research, A2 Ghee made from pure breed  Malnad Gidda cow has highest content of Omega-3 fatty acids which is main building block of brain. 

For all the above reasons, the A2 ghee produced from the milk of a pure breed Malnad Gidda cow which grazes freely in the mountains, is nothing less than a potent elixir of the essence of various ayurvedic and Medicinal herbs which this breed eats.