Mahindra XUV300 Owner's 5 Bizarre Reasons For Coating His Car In Cow Dung

Indians can sometimes stun you with the crazy stunts they put up. Some of these acts can be extremely bizarre as well. In recent years, we saw many give their cars and SUVs coats of cow dung. Most of them have strange reasons for this. Recently, a Marathi man shared a video of him showing off his Mahindra XUV 300, covered in cow dung. In it, he is seen explaining why he chose to do the same. He gives five reasons for it, most of which sound hilarious.

The man says that coating the SUV with cow dung has helped in freeing himself from having to wash it regularly. He goes to the extent of saying that he has gone without washing for more than 1.5 months. He says that all he has to do now is to wipe down the windscreen and headlamps. How insane can this reason be? Well, welcome to India!

Then he says that the cow-dung-coated SUV attracts a lot of eyeballs whenever it is out on the road. He says that people often come to him with questions about the act. This man seems to enjoy the attention.

He further says that cow dung is 'pavitra' ( meaning pure) and a part of the Indian tradition. It is often considered a symbol of spirituality. He is happy and proud of following it. He goes on to say that the layer of dung dispenses positive energy and creates and aura, and the same has helped him in staying safe on the road! For the 1.5 months that he has been driving with it, the man says that he has had no accidents...

Now comes the final claim- Applying the mix of cow dung and cow urine (gomutra) on top of the vehicle has helped in keeping it cool in the hot, humid Indian weather. In theory, this makes some sense. Cow dung can provide some amount of insulation against heat.

In the past, many homes in our country used to have walls plastered with cow dung and straw in the summer, to beat the heat. The mixture would then retain moisture and thus lower the temperature inside the house. These people seem to be trying to pull off a version of this in their respective cars, expecting similar effects.

Things are, however, different with cars. The sheet metal tends to heat up fast when parked under the sun. The cow dung coat could slightly reduce the amount of heat inside but doesn't prove to be of comparable efficiency as the air conditioning system inside. Plus, plastering alone will not get the job done. The owner will have to water the dung regularly so that there is moisture inside, which is responsible for the claimed cooling.

Needless to say, giving your car a coat of cow dung can always damage its paint, and in the long run, cause rusting. Just like bird droppings, if the dung sits on the paint for prolonged periods, it could cause discolouration. And finally, how can we expect a car covered with animal excreta to look good? It simply doesn't...

According to our laws, dung-coating your car is illegal. Even though it is a temporary layer, it could more or less mean the car having a different colour than what it actually has- which is illegal.

Driving In The Summer: What Ideally Should Be Done?

Instead of attempting such stupid stunts as dung-coating your car or other buffoonery, one should resort to smart practices to ensure optimum heat management in the summer. Avoid parking in open spaces or under direct sunlight. If you have to, use various accessories like heat deflectors and sun blinds, to prevent the cabin from taking in all the heat. You can also try investing in a good car cover.