Shankaracharya’s ‘GoELX’ to buy cows, to prevent slaughter

Metro India News | VARANASI 

Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati Ji Maharaj announced on Thursday a major initiative to protect cows across India by directly purchasing them from Hindus who wish to sell, countering what he described as a false narrative that Hindus sell cows to butchers for slaughter. In a statement, the Shankaracharya said the country will soon see the launch of a dedicated website called “GoELX”, modeled after the popular classifieds platform OLX.

Through this portal, Hindus desiring to sell their cows will be able to connect directly with the initiative, and the cows will be purchased to ensure they are not sent to slaughterhouses. The announcement was made during the ongoing 81-day “Gauvishti Dharmayudh Yatra” being led by the Shankaracharya in Uttar Pradesh amid extreme summer heat. The yatra aims to protect cows and seek their declaration as “Rajya Mata” (Mother of the State).

He clarified that while some Hindus have traditionally been involved in cattle trade, they sell cows only when they believe the buyer will take care of and serve the animal.  He welcomed the possibility of Muslims stopping cow consumption, stating it would be praiseworthy. The Shankaracharya revealed that several Muslims have contacted him supporting the cow protection campaign, stating that eating cow meat is not mandatory in their religion.

Regarding GoELX , he emphasized that under the new initiative, any Hindu wishing to sell a cow can do so through the GoELX platform, where the cows will be purchased. Sanjay Pandey, Media In-charge to the Shankaracharya, confirmed that the GoELX website will be launched very soon and that detailed information regarding the portal and its functioning will be shared at the time of the launch.