Final answer:
In India, the cow is venerated in Hinduism and is also economically valuable, leading to its protected status and the establishment of around 4,000 gaushalas as sanctuaries to care for cows.
Step-by-step explanation:
In India, where Hinduism is the predominant religion, the cow holds a special place due to its sacred status, which is evident in the country's practices and policies related to cattle. There are about 4,000 gaushalas, or homes for the care and protection of cows, often referred to as "old folks" homes for cows. These facilities provide shelter for cows that would otherwise be roaming the streets or living in undesirable conditions.
According to the sacred texts of Hinduism, cows are associated with Aditi, the mother of all gods, which provides a religious foundation for their veneration. Moreover, the cultural anthropologist Marvin Harris presented the argument in his work, "The Cultural Ecology of India's Sacred Cattle", that the prohibition against killing cows also has an economic rationale. Cows in India serve as sources of milk, as draft animals for plowing fields, and their dung is used as fuel, making them more valuable alive than as meat.