Lost dog returns home travelling alone for 250 km to Belagavi!

Belagavi: Yamagarni village in Nipani taluk of Belagavi district recently witnessed a strange sight. A jubilant crowd paraded a black indie dog covered in garlands and held a feast in its honour. For the villagers, the return of the dog, which had been lost, is a miracle.

Fondly called Maharaj, the animal was lost in the crowd in the pilgrimage town of Pandharpur in Maharashtra, but made its way back to the village in Belagavi, travelling nearly 250km on its own. In the last week of June, Maharaj had followed its owner Kamalesh Kumbhar when he went on his annual 'Wari padayatra' trip to Pandharpur.

Kumbhar, a ‘Warkari', said he visits Pandharpur every year on Ashadha Ekadashi and Kartiki Ekadashi.This time, the dog too accompanied him, he said.

“Maharaj has always liked listening to bhajans. Once, he had accompanied me on another padayatra trip to Mahabaleshwar,” Kumbhar told PTI.

For 250 km, the dog followed the master, who walked chanting bhajans. After the darshan at Vithoba temple, Kumbhar said he noticed that the dog was missing. When he went looking for him, he said people told him that the dog had left with another group.

“I still searched for him everywhere and I could not find him. I returned to my home town on July 14,” Kumbhar said. The next day, Kumbhar said, to his surprise “Maharaj was standing there in front of my house, wagging his tail as if nothing had happened!'' (PTI)