Waghya
Other name(s) | Vaghya |
---|---|
Species | Dog |
Breed | Unknown |
Sex | Male |
Died | 1680 |
Resting place | Raigarh, Maratha Empire |
Owner | Chhatrapati Shivaji |
Waghya, (meaning tiger in Marathi), was a mixed-breed pet dog of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj[1][2][3], known as the epitome of loyalty and eternal devotion. After Chhatrapati Shivaji's death, the Waghya mourned and jumped into his master's funeral pyre and immolated himself.[4]
A statue was put up on a pedestal next to Shivaji's tomb at Raigad Fort. In 2011 the statue of Waghya was removed by alleged members of the Sambhaji Brigade as a protest but was later reinstalled.[5][6]
Monument
In memory of Waghya, a memorial was built next to Chhatrapati Shivaji's tomb at Raigad Fort with a donation by Indore’s Prince Tukoji Holkar in 1906, who gave ₹5,000 (equivalent to ₹1.7 million or US$20,000 in 2023) towards the dog’s statue.[7]
Reportedly by Mid-Day, the statue of Waghya was erected on a Samadhi at Shivaji's memorial in 1936 under the banner of Shri Shivaji Raigad Smarak Samati (SSRSS) in leadership of Narasimha Chintaman Kelkar.[8]
Attack on Waghya's Statue on Raigarh Fort
In 2011, Sambhaji Brigade, an extremist group was responsible for a protest and attack against Waghya's statue located on Raigad Fort next to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's memorial. The group claimed that the dog was not real and there shouldn't be a memorial for it. This act was strongly opposed by local Dhangar community for they believe that the dog was real.[9][10][11]
In popular culture
Waghya's heroic story was portrayed in Rajsanyas, a play by Ram Ganesh Gadkari, a noted Marathi playwright.[12]
Gallery
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Waghya's samadhi is located on Raigad fort
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Statue of Waghya, the pet dog of Shivaji
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Waghya's Statue
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Statue of Waghya, the pet dog of Shivaji
See also
References
- ^ "Maratha outfit declares war on Shivaji's dog". News 18. May 26, 2011.
- ^ "Loyal To The End (& Beyond): History's 10 Most Faithful Dogs". Petslady.com. July 30, 2012.
- ^ "The real Indian dog". Frontline. August 4, 2017.
- ^ Bogart Morrow, Laurie (October 9, 2012). The Giant Book of Dog Names. Simon and Schuster. p. 406. ISBN 9781451666915.
- ^ Shaikh, Zeeshan (May 21, 2011). "Remove dog statue from Shivaji memorial, says Sambhaji Brigade". Hindustan Times.
- ^ Singh Parmar, Aditya (August 8, 2012). "Shivaji's Dog Restored Its Place at Raigarh". DNA India.
- ^ Deshpande, Devidas (May 27, 2011). "Dog-eats-dog politics wants statue of Shivaji's pet out". The Times of India.
- ^ Sabnis, Vivek (May 26, 2011). "Now, outfit declares war on Shivaji's dog". Mid-Day.
- ^ Maratha outfit declares war on Shivaji's dog , IBN Live
- ^ "Legend of Shivaji's loyal dog questioned, statue removed". Business Standard. January 25, 2013.
- ^ "73 held for removing Shivaji dog's statue from Raigad fort". DNA India. August 3, 2012.
- ^ Mulla, Mohsin (May 24, 2011). "Dog statue near Shivaji memorial draws ire". DNA India.