•Used in Havans, in combination with pure cow ghee (clarified butter) which is offered as part of rituals, is said to strengthen the ozone layer which shields the earth from harmful radiation. Also used in Agnihotra puja.

Dung cakes, made from the by-products of cow husbandry, are traditionally used as fuel in India for making food in a domestic hearth called a Chulha. They are made by hand by village women and are traditionally made from cow dung. One dung cake of an average size gives 2100 kJ worth of energy. Dung cakes are also known as uple, kande, gosse or thepdi.
These are the cakes of cow dung molded by bare hands with a curvature to be able to keep stuck to the walls. Once dried they are put in a pile and covered with thatch called bitaudaCow dung cake has an astonishing and myriad variety of uses:
• Natural Fertilizer – Dried Cow Dung Cake acts as excellent natural manure for flowering plants. Cow dung ash also acts an alkaline natural fertilizer as it is basically lime with a few other minerals mixed into it. No other fertilizer in the world is as cheap and harmless as cow dung fertilizer
• Burning of dried cow dung cakes with neem leaves or camphor purifies air. It is scientifically proven that the cow dung purifies the air and also has anti-pollutant and anti-radiation qualities.
• Used in cooking (as fuel).Traditional wisdom says that in burning these cow dung cakes, the temperature never rises beyond a certain point ensuring the nutrients in the food are not destroyed by overheating.
• Cow Dung Ash - from patties/cakes used in cooking /havan also acts as an excellent -Pot cleaner –dry, it absorbs oil and fat from utensils ; wet, as a general cleaner