Love Beyond Species: Elderly Builds A Temple In Memory Of His Canine, Read Details

Chennai, Apr 4: Dogs, for their incredible companionship, they have been living with humans for thousands of years generating billions of core memories and stories. Dog is the only creature on earth that loves you more than you love yourself. It is the saddest thing that these wonderful creatures don’t live as long as humans. Yet in their brief stay, they leave behind such deep belongingness that it is difficult to be expressed in words.

And so, just like we do in the case of humans, many canine owners feel the need to build memorials for their beloved friends. One such famous dog memorial is that of Waghya (meaning tiger in Marathi) who was a mixed-breed pet dog of Maratha king Shivaji. He was known as the epitome of loyalty and eternal devotion. After Shivaji’s death, he is said to have jumped into the funeral pyre and immolated himself. Following this, a statue was put up on a pedestal next to Shivaji’s samadhi at Raigad Fort.

In Tamil Nadu, the Kanchivanam deity in the Melur area of ​​Madurai is believed to be accompanied by a dog. And so, there is a statue of a puppy in the sanctum of the Kanchivanam temple.

Only this time, it is not any king or deity but a retired government staffer in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu who has built a temple for his four-legged late best friend – Tom at his farm.

One Muthu (82) hails from Manamadurai. Tom, a labrador, lived with Muthu for almost 11 years until its death due to health issues in January 2021. Tom was no less than a member of Muthu’s family. The loss was huge for the owner and he valued the dog a lot. So, he decided to set up a small temple for Tom on the farmland in Bramanakurichi near Manamadurai. As per reports, he spent Rs 80,000 from his savings to build a marble statue in the likeness of his dog.

In the temple for Tom, puja is held on Tuesdays, Fridays, and other auspicious days along with food and garlands. Despite having his own health issues due to old age, Muthu is now paying homage to the dog statue with the help of his sons.

The statue of Tom was installed in January this year. Muthu deeply believes that his act would eternalize the bond he shared with his pet and best friend, Tom.