Dog Tale

Dog won't be denied

Now, a dog is getting in on the act!

Almost every morning, after mangala arati, and after we circumambulate the temple, when we emerge from the nat-mandir and go to offer our obeisances to tulasi devi, a tan colored dog comes running up and flops down amongst us.

Visva Mohan Prabhu says he's paying his obeisances too — and maybe he is — but he also does some very un-Vaishnava dog things like... well, I'd better not get into that :-)

Oh, the Indian mynah still comes around too, and nobody minds him, but this pooch isn't nearly as welcome.

I mean, it's not like he's cute, cuddly little puppy, or anything — he's a typical Kolkata mongrel. And he wants to nuzzle up to you and lick your face. Yecch!

Yes, we've all heard the story of Sivananda Sena and the dog, so we don't begrudge this dog a chance to try to gather some sukriti wherever he can, but this is a bit too much.

Some of us have tried to dissuade the dog from mingling so closely with us, but we have been unable to deter him so far, so we're learning to tolerate him.

My solution is to jockey to be amongst the first to get out of the mandir so that I can be furthest away, against the wall, when the mutt comes running up. (I know, I'm offensive :-)