'Maharaj', Pet Dog Lost A Week Ago, Finds Way Home By Walking 225 Km In Maharashtra's Kolhapur

A pet dog, who lost its way in Pandharpur, where he had gone with the family for Vitthala darshan, found its way home alone. He walked 225 km and returned home to Kolhapur leaving the family overjoyed.

Kolhapur (Maharashtra): 'Maharaj', a pet dog that had accompanied a family to Pandharpur for darshan of Vitthala got lost and walked back alone 225 kilometres to reach home in Kolhapur.

Photographs of this dog being worshiped with a garland have also gone viral on social media. Maharaj had walked from Nanibai Chikhli in Kolhapur to Pandharpur but accidentally got separated from the family members. Surprisingly, the dog returned home alone two days ago.

Maharaj lives with Dnyaneshwar Kumbhar's family in Yamgarni village near Nipani along the Maharashtra-Karnataka border. For the last 30 years, the family has been walking to Pandharpur every year. The dog too has been accompanying the family in their journey.

This year too, a procession was taken out on foot from the village between July 6 and 14. Along with the family members, Maharaj walked a distance of 225 km to Pandharpur. However, the dog got lost in the huge crowd that had gathered on the occasion.

The Kumbhar family tried to find their beloved dog but had to return home empty-handed after two days. The incident left the family along with the villagers extremely sad. The villagers also took to social media posting information about the dog and appealing people to provide information is they see Maharaj anywhere.

The search for the dog continued for an entire week. Just when the family was losing their hopes of finding the dog, Maharaj returned to the village alone. The joy of the Kumbar family knew no bounds when they found their beloved dog walking towards the house alone. The villagers then put a garland round his neck and took out a procession with him. They also uploaded the photos on social media.

Veterinary officer Dr. Sam Ludrick said, "Pets leave excrement on the routes they travel and use scent to guide their way back. If this dog had gone to Pandharpur in a four-wheeler, he would not have managed to return. The traces of excrement he left behind helped him to return to the same place."

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