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Urban warkaris redraw wari plans due to Covid-19 pandemic, go online
This year, 50 warkaris kicked off the pilgrimage and the paduka (footprints) of both the saints will either be flown into Pandharpur or driven by road, to meet the Ashadhi Ekadashi festival of July 1.
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the historic wari (pilgrimage) tradition in Maharashtra has been dramatically curtailed this year.
Annually two lakh pilgrims walk from Dehu to Pandharpur, all devotees of Tukaram and/or Dnyaneshwar.
This year, 50 warkaris kicked off the pilgrimage and the paduka (footprints) of both the saints will either be flown into Pandharpur or driven by road, to meet the Ashadhi Ekadashi festival of July 1.
In Pune, the urban warkari (pilgrim) tradition of two organisations has also had to alter the planned ‘urban wari’ participation.
Students of the National Service Scheme (NSS) at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) in 2019 undertook a tree-planting drive to express their support to and participation in the wari.
This year, the NSS has had to move online.
Under the virtual wari campaign, 40,000 students from SPPU and affiliated colleges will participate in various social activities wherever they currently are, locked down or otherwise, keeping all social distancing rules and safety measures in place.
A website is being set up, where students will upload photos and videos to share their virtual wari with the general public.
“This year under the virtual wari initiative we will appeal to our students who are based across the state to participate in various initiatives, which will include cleanliness drives, tree planting, and blood donation camps. All these drives will be taken by following social distancing rules and guidelines will be given to students about safety measures. For this, a portal is going to be made where students will upload their photos and videos under the initiative,” said Rajesh Pande, SPPU’s management council member.
Ashadhi Ekadashi is on July 1, this is when the wari normally reaches Pandharpur.
SPPU has planned its virtual wari initiative eight days before July 1. A formal inauguration will be done at SPPU next week.
“This year due to the pandemic situation it was not possible to conduct the wari. It was decided to create a virtual wari in which students will give a solution dimension to the wari tradition, from where they are now,” Pande said.
The preparations for this initiative have already begun and SPPU’s NSS wari committee is working on it.
