In the holy village of Radhakund, near Vrindavan, there is a place that was founded on compassion, Radha Surabhi Gaushala. Its founder, Sudevi Dasi Ji (born Friederike Irina Bruning), is known to devotees simply as “Mataji”, a woman who turned a single act of mercy into a lifetime mission of cow service and gauraksha (cow protection). What began as a rescue of one wounded calf has become one of the major cow shelters in Braj. A place where every cow in need of help is cared for and provided a loving home.

A Massive Refuge
Radha Surabhi is not a small roadside shelter. Over the years it has grown to care for thousands of cows, around 2500 at a time. Many of them arrive having suffered accidents including broken legs, severe wounds, or abandonment. A qualified veterinarian at the gaushala provides splints, wound dressings, long-term nursing, and palliative care for animals who cannot be rehomed.

The operation is large and demanding: dozens of staff members keep the place running by cleaning stables, preparing fodder, assisting vets, and ensuring daily care for cows who once had nowhere to go. This kind of long-term, trauma-informed care requires relentless logistics and funding. The milk obtained from the cows is not sold but fed to the undernourished calves, found and collected from the roadsides. These calves may be injured or ill, or just too small to take care of themselves.

Rescue on the Roadside: the Medical Team and Ambulance Service
A striking and heartbreaking fact is how many cows arrive at the gaushala because of road accidents and neglect. Sudevi’s team operates rescue vehicles and coordinates emergency pickups, often hauling cows out of midday heat or from busy highways where they with much suffering might otherwise perish. A trained veterinary team provides triage, medication wound care, vaccinations and long-term treatment plans. This medical and rescue capability is central to why Radha Surabhi is considered among the most vital cow protection services in Braj.

Care that Honors Life: Rehabilitation and Dignity
The gaushala’s philosophy is simple but radical: every cow matters. Blind cows are housed in separate enclosures; lame or three-legged ones receive supportive bedding and are helped to stand up again. Motherless calves are either adopted by other mother cows or bottle-fed until they grow-up. When a cow’s life comes to a natural end, the team ensures a dignified farewell. This level of individualized attention turns rescue into restoration.

Funding the Mission: Personal Sacrifice and Public Support
Running an operation of this massive scale is expensive. Sudevi Dasi Ji has used personal inheritance and rental income from property abroad to cover costs. But, the gaushala depends heavily on public donations to meet monthly needs like fodder, medicines, and staff salaries. Several verified donation pages for Radha Surabhi list needed amounts for feeding and medical care, a reminder that compassion needs practical support. If you’re looking to help, consider verified channels such as the gaushala’s official donation links.

Recognition and Perseverance: National Honour and Ongoing Challenges
In 2019, the Government of India recognized Sudevi Dasi Ji’s decades of service with the Padma Shri Award. A rare national acknowledgment for cow protection work. The award brought wider visibility to the plight of abandoned and injured cows, and to the importance of gauraksha that blends spiritual conviction with hands-on acts of welfare. Even with recognition, the gaushala continues to face challenges like lack of land and funding and yet by the Grace of God, the gaushala continues.

Why her Work Matters: Spiritual, Ecological and Social Impact
Sudevi Dasi Ji’s gaushala is not only an animal refuge. It is a living example of how cow service overblends with spiritual practice and social care. All over India, cows hold sacred value; protecting them sustains cultural continuity and dharma. Ecologically, cow shelters can support sustainable agriculture practices (compost, panchagavya products), through the use of cow dung which is healthy for the general consumers of grains, as opposed to the use of fertilizers and pesticides, which are the root cause of various illnesses in the long run. The act of rescuing an injured cow is simultaneously a spiritual offering and an ethical intervention.

How you can Help: Practical Ways to Support
  • Donate for cows in Vrindavan through verified platforms linked to Radha Surabhi.
  • Adopt a cow virtually many gaushalas offer sponsorships that cover food and medical care.
  • Volunteer or visit the gaushala to contribute time and contribute seva firsthand.
Every act whether a small monthly donation or a day of hands-on seva helps sustain this vital work.

Closing Reflection
Sudevi Dasi Ji’s life at Radha Surabhi Gaushala is a portrait of steady, humble devotion. She shows how one person’s refusal to ignore suffering can transform hundreds of lives and inspire thousands more. In a world often measured by speed and profit, her gaushala measures its days in meals given, wounds tended, and the quiet comfort of cows resting safely in the shelters. That is gauraksha in action protecting life, preserving dharma, and nurturing a future where compassion still guides our choices.