E-Paper
Six ultra-runners from Pune on “Run Wari” from Alandi to Pandharpur
The Pune team’s initiative is their way of paying obeisance to the tens of thousands of warkaris who undertake the wari from Alandi to Pandharpur each year on Ashadi Ekadashi
PUNE There will be no warkaris walking with the palkhi on the annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur this year. However, six ultra-runners will attempt a “spiritual run”, calling it the “Run Wari”, covering a distance of 240km in 42 hours, from Alandi to Pandharpur.
The brainchild of Bhushan Tarak and Swaminathan Srinivasan, this is their way of paying obeisance to the tens of thousands of warkaris who walk the distance each year on Ashadi Ekadashi.
“The Run Wari is an attempt to do a spiritual journey from Alandi to Pandharpur. It has been a burning desire for Swaminathan and I for the last four years to do this. We will be joined by ultra-runners Janardhan Kattul,Chandrakant Patil, Ajit Gore,Sathosh Kokare and Rajendra Shelke,” said Bhushan Tarak. The runners will begin this Thursday, June 24.
“There is no ban on running but they cannot give it a shape of a function or an event,” said Amitabh Gupta, commissioner of police, Pune, adding that the runners should follow all Covid norms.
The six runners have been practicing for the last three years, building endurance on runs of 100km and 160 kms in various ultra-events like the Tata Ultra and Pune Ultra.
“We have always regretted not being able to participate in the traditional palkhi wari due to other constraints and thus this is our way of expressing our devotion,” added Tarak, “This human effort is also a unique blend of bhakti (warkari devotion) and shakti (physical running), which epitomises the true spirit, essence and pride of Maharashtra.”
The runners state that this is not a commercial event or an act to gain any official record, but more a personal effort. “It is an individual effort to collectively represent the bhakti and devotion of all warkaris and pray to the Almighty to get us through this Corona. The run is self-sponsored and not under the banner of any official organisation,” said Tarak.
The runners will leave Alandi at 6pm and proceed via Saswad, Jejuri, Lonand, Phaltan, Malshiras to reach Pandharpur on June 26 at around 11 am. They will return to Pune on June 27 by vehicle.
“The runners will ensure all Covid-related precautions are taken care of with due adherence to social distancing norms laid out by local authorities. We will undergo Rapid Antigen tests (RAT) before the start and will run with their masks on, said Swaminathan Srinivasan.
“The idea is to keep moving by praying without much break. We will be assisted for hydration and moral support by two private cars with a crew of Prashant Bhosale, Digambar Jhanbare, Nandu Musale, Tanaji Devekar and Datta Khot Patil,” Srinivasan said.
