Ep 192: “Gorehabba” The Indian Cow Poop Festival
Getting Absolutely Lost in the Sauce: Inside India’s Cow Poop Festival (Yes, Really)
There are many things in this world I don’t understand. Advanced math. NFT bros. Why public bathrooms insist on lighting that feels like an interrogation.
And now, officially, Gorhabba.
Welcome back to Privy, a podcast—and now blog—about bathrooms, poop, and the deeply strange ways humans have interacted with both throughout history. January’s unofficial theme around here has been “things we don’t get,” and friends, today’s topic fits that brief so perfectly it might as well be laminated and mounted above a urinal.
This is the story of a small village in southern India, a local deity born from cow dung, and a festival where people willingly—and joyfully—get hit in the face with basketball-sized chunks of cow poop.
Let’s talk about it.
First: A Little Cultural Grounding (Before the Poop Starts Flying)
In early autumn, many Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist communities celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights—a multi-day celebration centered on the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. Think feasts, lamps, prayers, and gift-giving. It’s often incorrectly simplified as “Hindu Christmas,” which is… not right, but a common Western misunderstanding.
Different regions celebrate Diwali in different ways, often invoking local deities. One such deity is Lakshmi, associated with prosperity, fertility, and beauty—and, relevant to today’s discussion, cow dung, which is considered sacred in many Hindu traditions.
And that brings us to Gumatapura, an agrarian village in southern India whose claim to fame is… well… a cow poop festival.
Meet Gorhabba: The Cow Poop Festival
According to local tradition, Gumatapura’s village deity—known as Birappa or Birishwara Swami—was born from cow dung. Yes. Born. From poop.
To honor this deity and close out Diwali, the village celebrates Gorhabba, a ritual that has reportedly been practiced for over 300 years. And when I say “ritual,” I mean this very literally:
Men, women, and children spend weeks collecting cow dung.
Mountains—actual hills—of poop are piled near the village temple.
A ceremonial figure known as “the snake” is paraded on a donkey.
Offerings are made.
A priest is ceremonially sprinkled with cow dung.
And then?
The poo fighting begins.
Participants wrestle, sling, and absolutely pelt one another with cow dung. Not metaphorically. Not symbolically. Physically. Fully. Enthusiastically.
It’s like dodgeball, but wetter. And spiritually significant.
Why Would Anyone Do This?
According to participants, Gorhabba isn’t about chaos for chaos’s sake. It’s believed that cow dung possesses purifying properties, capable of healing skin conditions, preventing illness, and even improving fertility.
To the villagers, this isn’t gross—it’s sacred.
And importantly: Gorhabba is highly localized. This isn’t “all of India.” It’s not even “all Hindus.” It’s one small community honoring their deity their way.
Which brings us to the controversy.
When the Internet Shows Up (And Immediately Loses Its Mind)
In late 2024, YouTuber Tyler Oliveira visited Gumatapura and documented Gorhabba firsthand. Not from a distance. Not behind a lens.
He joined in.
And by “joined,” I mean my man got absolutely up to his chironies in cow poo.
The footage shows villagers welcoming him, explaining the tradition, laughing with him, and—crucially—absolutely annihilating him with cow dung. He didn’t just observe. He paid the price.
Online backlash followed. Accusations of mockery. Cultural disrespect. Exploitation.
But watching the footage, something becomes clear: Oliveira isn’t ridiculing anyone. He’s doing what humans have always done when dropped into a completely unfamiliar ritual—asking questions, trying to understand, and occasionally making jokes to cope with the fact that he just took a cow patty to the face at full velocity.
If anything, the village seemed thrilled to have him there.
Let’s Be Honest About the Risks
Now, stepping out of the cultural lane for just a moment: cow dung is not exactly FDA-approved.
There are risks associated with direct contact, including bacterial infections like E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria, along with parasites and viruses. Add in the very real possibility of physical injury from being struck by a frozen, football-sized turd, and yeah—this isn’t exactly spa treatment.
That said, the villagers have been doing this for generations. Their relationship with their environment, livestock, and microbes is not the same as yours or mine.
Which brings us to an important point…
You Don’t Have to Participate to Respect It
Gorhabba doesn’t need Western approval. It doesn’t need internet validation. It exists because it has meaning to the people who practice it.
Understanding a ritual doesn’t require endorsing it—or joining in. And appreciating cultural complexity doesn’t mean pretending you’d sign up for cow-poop dodgeball if given the chance.
(For the record: I would not.)
A Personal Note: Cow Chip Dodgeball, Montana Edition
Growing up in Montana, we had our own deeply ill-advised cow-poop tradition: cow chip dodgeball.
Frozen cow patties. Cold air. Teenagers with poor judgment.
One partially unfrozen cow chip. One unfortunate friend with long hair. One unforgettable lesson: never assume a turd is fully solid.
So when I say I wouldn’t participate in Gorhabba, know that this comes from experience.
Hard-earned experience.
Final Thoughts
Gorhabba is wild. It’s baffling. It’s deeply rooted in faith, tradition, and community. And it’s a reminder that bathrooms, poop, and bodily rituals are never just gross—they’re cultural, symbolic, and profoundly human.
