Haveri (Karnataka): Apart from the thousands of temples dedicated to Hindu deities across India, one might have also come across some temples dedicated to politicians or film stars. However, in Karnataka's Haveri district, there exists a temple dedicated to a dog.
Chandrashekhara Swami, a resident on Ranibennuru in Haveri district, decided to build a temple in memory of his beloved dog after the canine passed away three years back.
Thirteen years ago, Swami had got the dog and named it Raja. Over the years, Raja transformed from just being a pet to an integral member of Swami's family.
Hence, it was no surprise that Raja's demise left a gap in Swami's life, who then decided to honour his beloved dog's loyalty by dedicating a temple to it.
Swami then built a temple dedicated to Raja near his house, where he offers prayers daily without fail. Swami, who has installed a Shivalinga along with an idol of Raja at the temple, believes that his dog was a reincarnation of Lord Shiva himself.
Following the death of Raja, Swami has been nurturing more than 10 dogs and has named them all after characters from the Hindu epic Mahabharata - Nakula, Sahadeva, Bhima, and even Narada.
While Swami offers prayers at the temple every day, all his other dogs can be seen patiently waiting in front of the temple till the puja (prayers) are completed.
Read: 'Looter' monkeys wreak havoc in this Karnataka village
