India, Jan. 8 -- By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik - Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist

Buffaloes are found in ponds, rivers, marshes and wetlands meant for rice cultivation. Cows, on the other hand, prefer drier jungle areas. India has both dry jungles and wet river basins. Dry areas are meant for wheat and millet cultivation, while wet areas are for rice cultivation. Cows and bulls thus represent two different ecosystems of India. Nomads move around with cows, while farmers are linked to buffaloes, who do not enjoy moving away from their watery habitat.

Bulls are castrated and used as bullocks for pulling carts and for tilling hard soil. Male buffaloes do not need to be castrated. They can be controlled by nose rings. Some buffaloes can...