Rathi · The Mainstay

Rathi

Thrifty · Steady · Willing

Coming later

A hardy desert dairy breed.

Native region
Bikaner, Rajasthan
Bloodline
Born of Bikaner
Rathi cow standing in the front yard of a typical village house in Rajasthan.

Born of Bikaner

A cow is never just a cow. The Rathi was shaped by Bikaner, her thrift, her steadiness, her willingness to milk on little drawn from dry grazing and long summers. For generations the Rath herders have moved her across that country and kept her for the pail. This is her bloodline. And now a little of it comes home with you.

Want Rathi next?

We are not making Rathi ghee yet. Join the list and we will tell you when we do. The list is how we decide what to make next.

  1. The breed

    A brown coat broken with white, a compact frame and a quiet temperament. Built to milk on sparse grazing.

  2. The land

    The dry country around Bikaner in northern Rajasthan, where grazing is thin and water is scarce.

  3. The people

    The Rath pastoralists of Bikaner, whose herds gave the breed its name.

  4. Her history

    Named for the Rath, a pastoral community of north-western Rajasthan who bred her around Bikaner. Shaped by moving herds across dry country rather than by settled dairying.

  5. Her milk

    A dependable milker on feed that would not sustain a higher-yielding cow. The virtue is not volume but consistency where there is very little to eat.

  6. Where she stands

    Her population sits in a small home tract, which makes her vulnerable. One bad drought, or a shift in grazing policy, moves the needle a long way.

  7. Indicative ghee

    bright gold, clean-sweet, balanced