In India, where Hindus have long worshipped cows as sacred, cow dung cakes have been used for centuries for fires, whether for heating, cooking or Hindu rituals. Across rural India, piles of drying cow dung are ubiquitous.
在印度,印度教徒长期以来都将牛视为圣物,在长达几个世纪的时间里,不论是取暖、做饭或是举行宗教仪式,都要用到牛粪饼.整个印度农村地区,干牛粪堆随处可见.
Radhika Agarwal of ShopClues, a major online retailer in India, said demand for the cow dung cakes spiked during the recent Diwali season, a time when Hindus conduct prayer ceremonies at their homes, factories and offices. On a recent day, ShopClues' website showed that the patties had sold out.
印度主要电商"店踪"（ShopClues）的拉迪卡·阿加瓦尔说,最近随着排灯节（Diwali）的到来,人们要在家中、工厂、或办公室里举行祈祷仪式,这使得牛粪饼的需求量激增.最近某一天,"店踪"网站显示那天的牛粪饼销售告罄.
"Around Diwali, when people do a lot of pujas in their homes and workplaces, there is a lot of demand for cow dung cakes," said Agarwal, referring to rituals performed during the popular festival.
提到这个盛大节日的宗教仪式时,阿加瓦尔说："排灯节期间,人们要在家中或工作地点做多次礼拜,对牛粪饼的需求量很大."
"Increasingly, in the cold weather, people are keeping themselves warm by lighting fires" using them, she said, adding that people who grew up in rural areas find the peaty smell of dung fires pleasant.
"天变冷了,人们也要需要更多的牛粪饼来点火取暖."她还说道农村长大的人更喜欢闻牛粪燃烧时那种泥煤似的味道.
"It reminds them of the old days," she said.
"这让他们回想起以前的时光."她说.
The cakes are sold in packages that contain two to eight pieces weighing 200 grams (7 ounces) each. Prices range from 100 to 400 rupees ($1.50 to $6) per package.
牛粪饼以包装形式出售,每包装有两到八个重200克（7盎司）的粪块儿,价钱从100到400卢比（1.50到6美元）不等.
Dung cakes are also used as organic manure, and some sellers are marketing them for use in kitchen gardens.
牛粪饼还可以当有机化肥使用,有些商家把它作为厨房菜园用品营销.
