Dog Travells 250 km to Reunite with Belagavi Owner

Yamagarni village in Nipani taluk of Belagavi district recently witnessed an emotional reunion that left the villagers in awe. A jubilant crowd paraded Maharaj, a black indie dog covered in garlands, and held a feast in its honor. Maharaj, who had been lost in the pilgrimage town of Pandharpur, miraculously returned home, traveling nearly 250km on his own.

Maharaj, fondly called "Maharaj," is well past his prime and had followed his owner Kamalesh Kumbhar to Pandharpur during the annual ‘Wari padayatra’ in the last week of June. Kumbhar, a devoted ‘Warkari,’ visits Pandharpur every year on Ashadha Ekadashi and Kartiki Ekadashi, and this time, Maharaj accompanied him.

“Maharaj has always liked listening to bhajans. Once, he had accompanied me on another padayatra trip to Jyotiba temple near Mahabaleshwar,” Kumbhar told PTI. For nearly 250 km, Maharaj followed his master, who walked with a group of friends, chanting bhajans.

After the darshan at Vithoba temple, Kumbhar noticed that Maharaj was missing. Despite searching everywhere, he couldn't find him. People told him that the dog had left with another group. Heartbroken, Kumbhar returned home on July 14.

To his astonishment, the very next day, Maharaj was standing in front of his house, wagging his tail as if nothing had happened. He looked well-fed and perfectly fine. Overcome with happiness, Kumbhar 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,” Kumbhar said.