Stray dog tags along Sabari pilgrims, treks 480km and counting

A stray dog has been following a team of 13 Ayyappa Maladharis (devotees), who are on an annual barefoot pilgrimage to Sabarimala and have walked over 480km so far, from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh to Kottigehara village of Chikkamagaluru district in Karnataka.

The devotees have now decided to take it with them all the way up to Sabarimala in their spiritual journey.

They said the dog sustained injuries to its paws a couple of times and was treated by local veterinarians.

The dog joined the barefoot devotees, led by Rajesh Guruswamy, a resident of Todar in Mudabidri, Dakshina Kannada district on October 31, when they started their pilgrimage from Tirupati Tirumala. The team reached Kottigehara on Sunday.
“We didn’t notice this dog at first. But, as we continued our journey, it kept popping up behind us every now and then. We offer it the food we prepare for ourselves. The dog has a leather collar around its neck and is very shy,” the devotees said.

“We perform the Sabarimala pilgrimage every year. But this is a new experience,” the devotees said, with obvious delight.

The dog joined the devotees from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh on October 31
 

Shrinivasa.M@timesgroup.com