Birth
Waghya was born in Raigad, Maratha Empire.
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History of Waghya
1670s to 1680
India
Waghya, (meaning tiger in Marathi), was a mixed-breed pet dog of Maratha king Shivaji Maharaj, known as the epitome of loyalty and eternal devotion. After Chhatrapati Shivaji's death, the Waghya mourned and jumped into his master's funeral pyre and immolated himself. A statue was put up on a pedestal next to Shivaji Maharaj'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.
Death
After Chhatrapati Shivaji's death, the Waghya mourned and jumped into his master's funeral pyre and immolated himself.
A memorial was built
In memory of Waghya, a memorial was built next to Chhatrapati 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.
The statue of Waghya was erected
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.
Attack against Waghya's statue
In 2011, Sambhaji Brigade, an extremist group was responsible for a protest and attack against Waghya's statue located on Raigad Fort next to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj'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.