Hindu group developing cow urine beverage

HARDWAR, India, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- An official with India's oldest and largest Hindu nationalist movement said a new soft drink made from cow urine could hit store shelves by the end of the year.

Om Prakash, head of the Cow Protection Department of the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, said "gau jal," or "cow water," is in the final stages of laboratory testing and would be made available to the public "very soon, maybe by the end of this year," The Times of London reported.

"Don't worry, it won't smell like urine and will be tasty too," Prakash said from his headquarters in Hardwar.

He said the unique selling point of the drink "will be that it's going to be very healthy. It won't be like carbonated drinks and would be devoid of any toxins."

Hindu tradition reveres cows and the urine and feces of the animals are often consumed to "purify" members of lower castes during rituals.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and offshoots including the Bharatiya Janata Party have been promoting cow urine since 2001 as a remedy for medical conditions including liver disease, obesity and cancer.

Prakash said he expects his drink to be a major competitor with U.S. cola brands in India.

"We're going to give them good competition as our drink is good for mankind," he said. "We may also think of exporting it."