Waghya
Waghya, (meaning tiger in Marathi), was a mixed-breed pet dog of Maratha king Shivaji Maharaj,[1][2][3] known as the epitome of loyalty and eternal devotion. After Shivaji's death, the Waghya mourned and jumped into his master's funeral pyre and immolated himself.[4]
Statue of Waghya at Raigad Fort | |
Other name(s) | Vaghya |
---|---|
Species | Dog |
Breed | Unknown |
Sex | Male |
Died | 1680 |
Resting place | Raigad, Maratha Empire |
Owner | Shivaji Maharaj |
A statue was put up on a pedestal next to Shivaji's samadhi 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 Shivaji's samadhi at Raigad Fort with a donation by Indore’s Prince Tukoji Holkar in 1906, who gave ₹5,000 (US$70) 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 Shivaji'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
- Waghya's samadhi is located on Raigad fort
- Statue of Waghya, the pet dog of Shivaji
- Waghya's Statue
- Statue of Waghya, the pet dog of Shivaji
See also
- List of individual dogs
- Raigad fort
References
- "Maratha outfit declares war on Shivaji Maharaj'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. Italic or bold markup not allowed in:
|newspaper=
(help) - Mulla, Mohsin (May 24, 2011). "Dog statue near Shivaji memorial draws ire". DNA India.