There's an app in India that lets you win prizes for taking selfies with cows

Cows have always been viewed with reverence in India, but the rhetoric has reached record highs over the last two years. Cow slaughter has been banned in a few states, and so-called cow protection mobs (called "gou rakshaks") have incited a range of attacks against cattle farmers — in a country that's the world's largest exporter of beef.

And now there's an app now that lets you take selfies with cows, and win prizes for doing so. Called Goseva Parivar, the app bills itself as a platform for "people who want to build a better world by saving the life of Gomata (mother cow)."

The app is built by an NGO that aims to "educate people on the economic and medicinal benefits the cow" and prevent cow slaughter. Apparently, that now involves taking selfies with cows:

With the launch of our app, we are starting an intuitive contest, which "Selfie with Gomata". Starting from 16-10-2017 until 31st December, Goseva Parivar is holding a selfie contest that gives you the chance to win some awesome rewards. We have categorized the competition in three parameters (Selfie, a selfie with family, a selfie with friends) and you can participate each one of them!After uploading the pictures, we will review it through various parameters and if your picture moves through the quality inspection, then for your effort we will grant you the Grand Prize. We will grant prizes for the best photograph in each category.Five winners with highest Goseva points as well as 5 contestants with highest likes will bag in amazing rewards. We will disclose the name of winners on 21st January 2018 at a Mega event of Goseva Parivar in Swabhumi.

There are a few rules to consider. First off, only Indian cows are eligible, so if you're outside the country, you're out of luck. You'll have to provide the app with your mobile number, and you can invite your friends and win "Goseva Points:"

  • Download and Install our App.
  • Register yourself with your mobile number.
  • Snap a creative selfie with Mother Cow. Take a selfie with only Desi Cow or Indian breed cows.
  • Upload the image to the respective category.
  • Seat back and relax! You have successfully entered in the contest. Don't forget to share the app with your friends so you can have a chance to win Goseva Points.

The app already has over a hundred downloads, so there's clearly some interest in taking selfies with cows. If you're feeling adventurous, download the app from the Play Store.

Harish Jonnalagadda
Senior Editor - Asia

Harish Jonnalagadda is a Senior Editor overseeing Asia at Android Central. He leads the site's coverage of Chinese phone brands, contributing to reviews, features, and buying guides. He also writes about storage servers, audio products, and the semiconductor industry. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.