Lost Dog Finds Way Home Across 150 Miles of Neighboring State, Villages Hold Feast in His Honor

August 1, 2024 journo

Maharaj was lost in the crowd in the pilgrimage town of Pandharpur in South Maharashtra (Photo Facebook/BAWA)

Yamagarni village in the Karnataka state of India recently witnessed a strange sight. A jubilant crowd paraded a black dog covered in garlands through the streets until they reached a feast prepared in its honor.

For the villagers, the return of the dog, which had been lost, was a miracle.

Fondly called Maharaj, the elderly companion was lost among the crows of pilgrims at a site in the neighboring state of Maharashtra, but managed to navigate by memory back home, traveling nearly 150 miles on its own.

In the last week of June, Maharaj joined its owner Kamalesh Kumbhar on a pilgrimage

Kumbhar told news media that he visits the sacred site of Pandharpur every year on Hindu holy days in July and August.

“Maharaj has always liked listening to bhajans [a devotional song]. Once, he had accompanied me on another padayatra trip to Jyotiba temple near Mahabaleshwar,” Kumbhar told Indian news outlet PTI.

For nearly 150 miles, the dog followed the master, who walked with a group of his friends, chanting these songs.

At a certain point in his devotionals, Kumbhar said he noticed that the dog was missing. When he went looking for him, a group of people told him that the dog had left with another group.

“I still searched for him everywhere and I could not find him. So, I thought maybe the people were right, that he left with someone else. I returned to my hometown on July 14th,” Kumbhar said.

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The very next day though, Kumbhar said, to his surprise “Maharaj was standing there in front of my house, wagging his tail as if nothing had happened. He looked well fed and perfectly fine.”

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Overcome with happiness, Kumbhar said, he and the villagers celebrated Maharaj’s return with a feast.

“It is such a miracle that the dog could find its way, although it was 250km or so away from home. We think it was Lord Panduranga who guided him.”

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