Palkhis reach Pandharpur in time for Ashashi Ekadashi

The palkhis of Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar left Dehu and Alandi on Monday morning to the beats of “Dnyanoba Mauli Tukaram”, and reached Pandharpur in the afternoon for Ashashi Ekadashi

PUNE The palkhis of Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar left Dehu and Alandi on Monday morning to the beats of “Dnyanoba Mauli Tukaram”, and reached Pandharpur in the afternoon. For the second year, the palkhis travelled by MSRTC in wake of the tradition of the walking wari (pilgrimage) being cancelled due to Covid-19.

The Sant Dnyaneshwar palkhi travelling in the MSRTC’s Shivshahi bus crosses Dive ghat near Saswad on its way to Pandharpur on Monday for Ashashi Ekadashi. (HT)

As restrictions are in place only a limited number of warkaris and state government officials were allowed for the departure ceremony.

Both palkhis reached Wakhri, a village before Pandharpur, in the evening. On Tuesday, Ashadhi Ekadashi, the warkaris along with the palkhis will walk to Pandharpur.

Eight prominent palkhis of various saints from all over the state reached Pandharpur on Monday, also by bus.

The palkhi leaves Alandi on Monday morning by bus, with 40 warkaris on board. (HT)

Every year hundreds of thousands of pilgrims walk from Dehu and Alandi to Pandharpur, all devotees of Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar.

Before the pandemic, annually, 0.4 million warkaris joined in several dindis (group of warkaris) and walked with the Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram palkhis from Alandi and Dehu villages, respectively, to Pandharpur. There are 250 registered dindis (group of warkaris) that accompany the palkhi to Pandharpur.

Meanwhile, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray along with his wife Rashmi, drove to Pandharpur. The state’s official “Maha Puja” will be done by Thackeray and another warkari couple at 2 am on July 20, in the main Vittal Rukhamini temple.