Woof…this dog is god
Published: May 29, 2005
Not a temple or church, but a dog memorial is where many residents of this Betul in Madhya Pradesh go for prayers in the belief that their wishes will be fulfilled!
On any day, people can be seen burning incense sticks and offering flowers and coconuts at the dog memorial located in the premises of the district collector’s office.
“Whenever somebody in my family falls sick, I visit the memorial and offer flowers and coconut,” said Usha Jaiswal, who lives near the collector’s office.
Survyavanshi, an employee at the collector’s office, said he has seen people worshipping at the dog’s memorial for several years. “Before examinations, one can see students making a beeline to the memorial.”
Nobody is sure when the memorial came up, but according to folklore a British administrative officer who was posted in Betul decades ago constructed it.
“The story goes that a British officer was posted here as deputy commissioner and had a pet dog. This area was covered with dense forests and the officer would often go hunting along with his dog,” said Devi Prasad Mishra, an 80-year-old native of Betul.
“It is believed that the dog many times saved its master from beasts. But one day the dog died while trying to do so. The officer then built the memorial,” said Mishra.
“I have heard from my elders that the officer would every day offer flowers at the memorial,” he said. And the practice caught on.
Today, people living around the collector’s office believe worshipping at the memorial will not only rid them of diseases but also fulfil their wishes.
People also help maintain the memorial. A few months ago, some bushes had grown near it, but Sudha Chaudhury, the then collector of Betul, got the area cleaned
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