Pandhrichi Vaari

One of the famous yatra or spiritual journey in the state of Maharashtra is the Pandharpur Wari, a Hindu pilgrimage walk conducted annually by a large group of devotees of Lord Vithoba, a Hindu deity worshipped predominantly by the people in Maharashtra . Wari or vari means a periodical pilgrimage to a sacred place and Warkari means one who performs the Wari. Visiting Pandharpur is a religious ceremony honouring the deity. These devotees walk for several days to Pandharpur, a town in Maharashtra known as the seat of the Hindu god. They carry Palkhis (palanquins) consisting Paduka (sandals) of Lord Vithoba’s famous saints Dnyaneshvar and Tukaram. According to some theories these two saints started the pilgrimage in 13th and 17th centuries respectively. The spiritual walk commences from the shrines of the two saints Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram in Alandi and Dehu respectively, both of which are located in Pune, Maharashtra. Numerous other Palkhis join the wari on the way which has the main Palkhi and Paduka. There are two routes on which the Wari is performed. Dehu – Pandharpur and other Alandi – Pandharpur. The whole procession is divided into sub groups called as Dindi. There are more than 200 Dindis on each route. Each Dindi has between 100 and 500 members. The people participating in this procession wear holy basil beads and sing the glories of Vithoba with songs like “Gyanba Tukaram”. The devotees carrying Palkhis complete the journey in 21 days culminating on the day of Ekadashi (eleventh lunar day) in the Hindu month of Ashadha (June-July). On the holy occasion of Ekadashi, the devotees reach Pandharpur and take a dip in the sacred Chandrabhaga river before proceeding for darshan at the Vithoba temple to celebrate their most revered deity.