How ‘temple-going’ goat was buriedwith full religious rites by UP village

Bijnor: The grand funeral of a goat has become a talking point at a village in UP. The male goat -- brown in colour with elegant black and white spots -- was a regular at Chamunda Devi temple in Amroha's Paal village under Gajraula limits for nearly two decades. And for local villagers of all caste and faith, the 3-feet tall herbivore was considered to be the "Devi's most loyal follower".A few days ago, the goat developed a fever and became weak. Villagers took it to a veterinarian, and despite efforts to treat it, the condition worsened, and it died on Tuesday.On Wednesday evening, villagers of Paal got together for a formal burial, decorating the bier and carrying out a large procession to the Ganga banks at Tigri Ghat. They then performed the last rites. "Animals like cows, monkeys and goats are usually buried in villages. In this case, people performed rites in accordance with full religious tradition before its burial," pointed out Aavesh Kumar, a local villager.Village head's husband Veer Singh Bhagat said on Thursday, "Someone left the goat near the Chamunda Devi temple around 20 years ago. Over time, local residents started calling it ‘Devi's goat'. It was left untied and it roamed in the village. People used to feed it during the day with reverence and ‘seva'. In the evening, the goat used to return to the temple."Bhagat added: "Strangely, unlike other goats, this one was different. No one ever complained of it trespassing into courtyards, farms or orchards to feed on plants or vegetable crops..."Arun Kumar, another villager, said, "During temple rituals and evening aarti, the goat was always seen near the stairs. We'll miss our ‘devout friend' now."Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Valentine's day wishes, messages and quotes !