Chennai: IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti on Monday said that his remarks on the medicinal properties of cow urine were based on scientific research alongside a ‘broader understanding of Indian medicine,’ The Indian Express reported.
V Kamakoti claimed he personally consumes ‘Panchagavyam’, a concoction of cow urine, cow dung, milk, curd, and ghee used in Hindu rituals.
The IIT Madras Director has been in the eye of a storm after he praised what he said ‘medicinal benefits’ of cow urine at an event ‘Go Samrakshana Sala’ in Chennai on January 15, 2025.
He supplied the anecdotal evidence of a ‘sanyasi’ recovering from heavy fever within 15 minutes of consuming cow urine.
After the ‘prominent sanyasi’ consumed it ‘the fever seemed to have disappeared in 15 minutes. So, antibacterial, antifungal, digestive issues, and irritable bowel syndrome – for many such issues – goumutra is an important medicine. We should consider it with due importance,’ he said.
The remarks triggered fierce criticism from political leaders and rationalist organisations.
Without retracting from the row, Kamakoti made it clear on Monday that there are five papers published in the US and a US patent on the subject.
He added that a paper published in Nature (a British weekly scientific journal) has validated details of cow urine’s antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties, ‘This is exactly what I said in my speech also’.
He said that a product called ‘Panchagavya Ghritham’ is available on Amazon, referring to a Kerala Ayurvedic medicine.
The product according to him is ‘approved by whatever medical aspects’.
Claiming further that cow urine is part of Ayurveda and Indian medical traditions, he said that the issue is now a political controversy which he said he wouldn’t want to talk about.
‘It is purely scientific. There is validation in papers. That will give clarity. My point is there is a scientific justification,’ he was quoted as saying.
He said the media attention to his remarks has helped highlight the relevance of Indian schools of medicine.