If anyone ever needed proof of a dog’s loyalty to their human companions, this should serve as one of the biggest examples. A 100-year-old Jain monk (sadhwi) in Surat’s Vesu area passed away and her dog was among those who walked the long distance of 5km alongside the palanquin journey (palki yatra) that carried her mortal remains. The dog walked under the palaki from her house to the Umara crematorium which is at a distance of 5 km. The disciples who had come to the crematorium later ensured that the dog was later picked up in a car and dropped off at Vesu, the locality it usually belongs to.

The dog, seemingly a mongrel used to roam in the Vesu area where Piyush Varsha Sadhwi Maharaj also used to reside in the Rameshwaram Apartment. She had shifted to the locality a few years ago and would often feed the dog.

When the sadhvi passed away, some of the locals and her disciples readied the mortal remains for the last rites and on Tuesday. But when the palki yatra of the Sadhwi started, the dog of hers also started walking along under the palki. Initially, the people thought the canine would leave their side after a while but it continued for a while until some shooed it away. But to their suprise, the animal came back again and started walking underneath the palanquin again.

It didn’t leave their side till the yatra reached Umra crematorium. Locals said when the sadhwi’s mortal remains were consigned to the flame, the dog was still standing there, watching everything till it was over.

Gujarat Sadhvi's Faithful Dog Walks 5 Km for Her Funeral Procession, Proves Loyalty is Beyond Death

The disciples who had come to the crematorium for the last rites of the Sadhvi later ensured that the dog was picked up in a car and dropped off at Vesu, the locality it usually belongs to.