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Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Families, friends and dindis make way to Dive Ghat for Sunday pilgrimage
Pune: Thousands of Pune residents turned out in large numbers to witness the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj palkhi procession climb up Dive Ghat despite thecloudy weather. People from across the city joined the procession since dawn on Sunday, either walking or commuting directly to Dive Ghat to experience the annual pilgrimage. Even before the sun rose over Dive Ghat on Sunday, the hillside was already aglow with devotion. A stream of white-clad warkaris flowed past the ghat, singing abhangs and chanting 'Gyanba Tukaram' and 'Jai Hari Vitthal' in unison. Residents participated in the age-old tradition with family, friends, and neighbours, with many going beyond viewing it just as a religious obligation to become a communal act of joy, heritage, and devotion. "This is not just a religious event, it's an experience. We don't come every year, but this time, we all wanted to feel the energy. You don't get this kind of collective joy often," said Amruta Deshmukh, who booked a cab at 4am with her husband and two teenage sons. The Deshmukhs, like many others, braved intermittent showers and muddy roads, clutching umbrellas and plastic-wrapped tiffins. Some carried flasks of tea,while sometook alongpackets of pohe and bananas, all determined to witness the palanquin procession wind its way toward Pandharpur. Showers and long queues did not dampen the sense of unity and spiritual rhythm as chants and cymbals echoed through the hills. "This is my first palkhi experience," said Shilpa Nair, a 28-year-old software engineer from Kerala who recently shifted to Pune for work. She stood with her colleagues from an IT firm in Hinjewadi, all sporting rain jackets over traditional attire. "I did notknow what to expect, but when everyone started singing in sync, even strangers, it gave me goosebumps," said Nair. Their colleague, Abhijit Gokhale, who organised the office outing, said, "We wanted our teammates who aren't from Maharashtra to see and experience the wari. It's not about religion, it's about community —people sharing food, wiping benches for each other —this is who we are," said Gokhale. Children, seniors and newcomers walked side by side with seasoned warkaris, many forming their own dindis. Several housing societies turned the day into a mini-yatra of their own. Agroup from a housing society in Pimpri hired a bus for 30 residents. "We left at 4.30am and packed tea, snacks, umbrellas and a lot of excitement. My granddaughter and her friends saw many old reels of warkaris at Dive Ghat and were fascinated. They urged us to arrange a trip to witness it. On Sunday, when we reached, they sang 'Gyanba Tukaram' with the crowd," said Ashok Bhide, who coordinated the trip for his housing society residents.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Sant Tukaram Maharaj palkhi begins wari from Dehu to Pandharpur
1 2 3 Pune: Chants of 'Gyanba Tukaram' and 'Vithal Vithal' reverberated as the annual palkhi procession of Sant Tukaram Maharaj commenced its journey from Dehu to Pandharpur on Wednesday. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis performed the traditional puja and aarti at the Dehu temple, marking the start of Ashadhi wari. Thousands of warkaris (devotees) from across Maharashtra congregated in the temple town of Dehu to join the wari in the past two. Several dindis (groups of devotees) will walk with Sant Tukaram Maharaj's 'paduka' (wooden slippers) kept in the palkhi (palanquin) towards Pandharpur, completing the nearly 240-km-long route on July 5, a day before Ashadhi Ekadashi on July 6. On the first day, the procession halted at Inamdar Saheb Wada near the Sant Tukaram Maharaj Temple in Dehu. It is scheduled to proceed towards Akurdi on Thursday. The palkhi procession will enter Pune city on Friday and halt at Nivdung Vithoba Temple in Nana Peth before proceeding towards Pandharpur on Sunday. "I feel honoured to have the opportunity to attend this ceremony. Wari holds immense significance, drawing warkaris from all corners of Maharashtra every year," Fadnavis said after performing the puja. He mentioned that the warkari community safeguarded our culture and upheld the values of Bhagwat Dharma for many centuries, even in the face of numerous attacks. Several other politicians, including deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, Union minister of state Murlidhar Mohol, Hasan Mushrif, and others, also took blessings from the palkhi in Dehu. Officials from the Dehu Sansthan Trust said a large number of warkaris are expected to join the procession this year due to the early arrival of monsoon. Jalinder Maharaj More, president of the Dehu Sansthan, said the atmosphere in Dehu was steeped in devotion since early morning. As per tradition, the kakad aarti was performed at 4am, followed by other rituals, including the mahapuja at 5am. The Sansthan trustees later performed a puja at the Shila Temple and subsequently conducted the Narayan Maharaj puja. Mahesh Shinde, a warkari from Parbhani, said, "I have been attending the annual wari for many years. It is a tradition passed down by my forefathers, and we proudly carry it forward. There is a unique sense of peace and fulfilment that comes from being part of this spiritual journey."
