I havent read the links relating to the holy cow issue yet, but i do
remember reading ayurvedic dietary advice from a classic text. preferred
food was flesh of wild animals such as deer. cows may have acquired sacred
status since it is better to use them as sources of milk, then you get food
every day for several years. ie, the reason was to get more, not less,
animal foods. suffice to say that all societies have placed a premium on
animal foods, and remark the irony of vegetarian lies and fantasies
appealing to all things cosmic in India.

andrew