Pandharpur Wari or Wari is a ''
yatra
( sa, यात्रा, 'journey', 'procession'), in Indian-origin religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, generally means a pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, sacred mountains, places associated w ...
'' to
Pandharpur
Pandharpur (Pronunciation: əɳɖʱəɾpuːɾ is a well known pilgrimage town, on the banks of Candrabhagā River, near Solapur city in Solapur District, Maharashtra, India. Its administrative area is one of eleven tehsils in the District, ...
,
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
, to honor
Vithoba
Vithoba, also known as Vi(t)thal(a) and Panduranga, is a Hindu deity predominantly worshipped in the Indian state of Maharashtra and Karnataka. He is generally considered as a manifestation of the god Vishnu, or his avatar Krishna. Vithoba is of ...
. It involves carrying the ''
paduka
''Paduka'' is an ancient form of footwear in India, consisting of a sole with a post and knob which is positioned between the big and second toe. It has been historically worn in South Asia and Southeast Asia. ''Paduka'' exist in a variety of f ...
'' of a saint in a ''
palkhi
The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the el ...
'', most notably of
Dnyaneshwar
Sant Dnyaneshwar (Marathi pronunciation: ̪ɲaːn̪eʃʋəɾ, also referred to as Jnaneshwar, Jnanadeva, Dnyandev or Mauli or Dnyaneshwar Vitthal Kulkarni (1275–1296), was a 13th-century Indian Marathi saint, poet, philosopher and yogi of ...
and
Tukaram
Sant Tukaram Maharaj (Marathi pronunciation: ̪ukaːɾam was a 17th-century Marathi poet, Hindu ''sant'' (saint), popularly known as Tuka, Tukobaraya, Tukoba in Maharashtra. He was a Sant of Varkari sampradaya (Marathi-Vaishnav tradition) - ...
, from their respective
shrines to Pandharpur. Many pilgrims join this procession on foot. ''
Warkari
Warkari (Marathi: वारकरी; Pronunciation: aːɾkəɾiː Meaning: 'The one who performs the ''Wari) is a sampradaya (religious movement) within the bhakti spiritual tradition of Hinduism, geographically associated with the Indi ...
'' is a Marathi term which means "one who performs the ''wari''". The tradition is more than 700 to 800 years old.
Marches happen on foot from various locations in Maharashtra to
Vithoba Temple
The Vithoba Temple, officially known as Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Mandir ( mr, श्री विठ्ठल-रूक्मिणी मंदिर kn, ಶ್ರೀ ವಿಟ್ಟಲ-ರುಕ್ಮಿಣಿ ಗುಡಿ ), is a Hindu temple in ...
. The journey takes 21 days. Many ''palkis'' join the main Tukaram and Dnyaneshwar ''palkhis'' along the way. Two specific pilgrimages honor the two most revered ''palkhis'', starting from their towns located in
Pune district
Pune district (Marathi pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, uɳeː is the most populous district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The district's population was 9,429,408 in the 2011 census, making it the fourth most populous district amongst I ...
of Maharashtra: Sant Dnyaneshwar's ''palkhi'' leaves from
Alandi
Alandi (Marathi pronunciation: ːɭən̪d̪iː is a town and a municipal council in the Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India. The town is popular as a place of pilgrimage and the resting place of the 8th century Marathi saint ...
, while Tukaram's begins at
Dehu
Dehu is a neighbourhood in the city of Pune, India. It is known for being the abode of Sant Tukaram.
The Tukaram Palakhi heading towards the town of Pandharpur originates from Dehu in the month of ''Ashadh.''
Demographics
India census, Dehu h ...
. The ''wari'' culminates at the Vithoba Temple on the holy occasion of
Shayani Ekadashi
Shayani Ekadashi (), also known by various other names, is the eleventh lunar day (Ekadashi) of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of the Hindu month of Ashadha (June - July). This occasion is holy to Vaishnavas, the followers of the Hindu pres ...
. Devotees from across Maharashtra and nearby areas leave for Pandharpur, wearing
holy basil
''Ocimum tenuiflorum'', commonly known as holy basil, ''tulsi'' or ''tulasi'', is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and widespread as a cultivated plant throughout the Southeast Asian ...
beads and singing the glories of Vithoba and songs like "Gyanba Tukaram", commemorating the saints. When they reach Pandharpur on Shayani Ekadashi, the devotees bathe in the sacred
Bhima River
The Bhima River (also known as Chandrabhaga River) is a major river in Western India and South India. It flows southeast for through Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana states, before entering the Krishna River. After the first sixty-five ki ...
before visiting the temple.
History
Beginnings
Various views exists on the origins of the ''wari'' (
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people
*Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece
See also
*
* ...
: पंढरपूरची वारी or वारी). According to one theory, Vitthalpant, the father of the
Varkari
Warkari (Marathi: वारकरी; Pronunciation: aːɾkəɾiː Meaning: 'The one who performs the ''Wari) is a sampradaya (religious movement) within the bhakti spiritual tradition of Hinduism, geographically associated with the Indi ...
saint
Dnyaneshwar
Sant Dnyaneshwar (Marathi pronunciation: ̪ɲaːn̪eʃʋəɾ, also referred to as Jnaneshwar, Jnanadeva, Dnyandev or Mauli or Dnyaneshwar Vitthal Kulkarni (1275–1296), was a 13th-century Indian Marathi saint, poet, philosopher and yogi of ...
, began the ''wari'' to visit
Pandharpur
Pandharpur (Pronunciation: əɳɖʱəɾpuːɾ is a well known pilgrimage town, on the banks of Candrabhagā River, near Solapur city in Solapur District, Maharashtra, India. Its administrative area is one of eleven tehsils in the District, ...
in the Hindu months of
Ashadha
Ashadha or Aashaadha or Aadi ( hi, आसाढ़ ''Āsāṛh'' or ''Āṣāḍh''; as, আহাৰ ''ahar''; or, ଆଷାଢ଼ ''Āṣāḍh''; bn, আষাঢ়; syl, ꠀꠀꠠ ''aáṛ''; ne, असार ''asār''; gu, અષા ...
and
Kartik. The tradition of performing a Wari is generally regarded to have existed for more than 800 years.
Another theory credits
Dnyaneshwar
Sant Dnyaneshwar (Marathi pronunciation: ̪ɲaːn̪eʃʋəɾ, also referred to as Jnaneshwar, Jnanadeva, Dnyandev or Mauli or Dnyaneshwar Vitthal Kulkarni (1275–1296), was a 13th-century Indian Marathi saint, poet, philosopher and yogi of ...
and
Tukaram
Sant Tukaram Maharaj (Marathi pronunciation: ̪ukaːɾam was a 17th-century Marathi poet, Hindu ''sant'' (saint), popularly known as Tuka, Tukobaraya, Tukoba in Maharashtra. He was a Sant of Varkari sampradaya (Marathi-Vaishnav tradition) - ...
to have started the pilgrimage. They used to take a journey to Pandharpur by foot for 15 days, reaching Pandharpur's
Vithoba Temple
The Vithoba Temple, officially known as Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Mandir ( mr, श्री विठ्ठल-रूक्मिणी मंदिर kn, ಶ್ರೀ ವಿಟ್ಟಲ-ರುಕ್ಮಿಣಿ ಗುಡಿ ), is a Hindu temple in ...
on
Shayani Ekadashi
Shayani Ekadashi (), also known by various other names, is the eleventh lunar day (Ekadashi) of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of the Hindu month of Ashadha (June - July). This occasion is holy to Vaishnavas, the followers of the Hindu pres ...
. The tradition of carrying the ''
paduka
''Paduka'' is an ancient form of footwear in India, consisting of a sole with a post and knob which is positioned between the big and second toe. It has been historically worn in South Asia and Southeast Asia. ''Paduka'' exist in a variety of f ...
'' of the saints was started by the Tukaram's youngest son, Narayan Maharaj, in 1685.
British era
Changes were brought to the pilgrimage in the 1820s by Tukaram's descendants and a devotee of Dnyaneshwar named Haibatravbaba Arphalkar, who was a courtier of the
Scindia
The Scindia dynasty (anglicized from Shinde) is a Hindu Maratha dynasty of maratha origin that ruled the erstwhile State of Gwalior. It had the Patil-ship of Kumberkerrab in Wai. It was founded by Ranoji Scindia, who started as a personal servan ...
s. Haibatravbaba is credited with the organization of the ''wari'' in use today. This involved carrying the ''paduka'' in a ''
palkhi
The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the el ...
'', having horses involved in the procession, and organizing the devotees or varkaris in Dindis (Dindi stands for a specific group of varkaris).
Wari in present times
The Warkaris—whose patron deity is Vithoba—undertake the ''wari'' to Pandharpur, reaching there on a day before Shayani Ekadashi, the eleventh lunar day (
Ekadashi
Ekadashi () is the eleventh lunar day (''tithi'') of each of the two lunar phases which occur in an Vedic calendar month - the '' Shukla Pakṣa'' (the period of the brightening moon also known as the waxing phase) and the ''Kṛṣṇa Pakṣa ...
) of the bright fortnight (
Shukla Paksha
Paksha (also known as ''pakṣa''; sa, पक्ष, Nepal Bhasa: ''thwa'' and ''gа̄''; ) refers to a fortnight or a lunar phase in a month of the Hindu lunar calendar.
Literally meaning "side", a paksha is the period either side of the F ...
) of
Ashadha
Ashadha or Aashaadha or Aadi ( hi, आसाढ़ ''Āsāṛh'' or ''Āṣāḍh''; as, আহাৰ ''ahar''; or, ଆଷାଢ଼ ''Āṣāḍh''; bn, আষাঢ়; syl, ꠀꠀꠠ ''aáṛ''; ne, असार ''asār''; gu, અષા ...
(June–July). Pilgrims carry palanquins of the saints from the places of their respective
samadhi
''Samadhi'' (Pali and sa, समाधि), in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools, is a state of meditative consciousness. In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ashtanga Yoga ...
.
Dindi
The concept of Dindi (Marathi: दिंडी procession) or troupes of warkari devotees was introduced by Haibatravbaba in the early 1800s. A diṇḍī is a group of Hindu devotees of one caste or village who are part of a larger
palkhi
The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the el ...
going to a holy site on pilgrimage. Some religious institutions and temples also have their own Dindi. Accommodation, meals and other facilities to warkaris are provided through their respective Dindi. Managing members of a Dindi usually travel ahead to make arrangements for food and shelter at their next stop. All registered Dindis are numbered and assigned their place in the procession. Some walk in front of the ''palkhi'' and others behind it. During their march, flag and banner-carrying members are at the front of the troupe, and the drummer is at the center the Dindi.
Along with the procession,
sevā
''Sevā'' (also transcribed as ''sewa''), in Hinduism and Sikhism, is the concept of selfless service that is performed without any expectation of result or award for performing it. Such services can be performed to benefit other human being ...
is performed for the poor and needy, like ''
dāna
Dāna (Devanagari: दान, International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Dānam) is a Sanskrit and Pali word that connotes the virtue of generosity, charity (practice), charity or giving of alms in Indian philosophies.
In Hindui ...
''.
The event is said to be one of the world's largest and oldest movement where people gather on one day each year and walk a distance of around 250 km. The Pandharpur Wari has been classified by the World Book of Records as "one of the most visited places in a day".
''Wari'' management
The Dnyaneshwar ''palkhi'' is managed by Haibatraobua Arphalkar's descendants, the hereditary Chopdars, and the Alandi Devasthan Trust.
The ''wari'' schedule is published ahead of time and is strictly followed. It is detailed and minute details are made available, including starting location and the location of breaks, including lunch, rest and night stays. Every morning at early dawn, after worshiping the Saint's footwear, the ''palkhi'' leaves at 6am for the next stretch of the route. A ''tutari'' (wind instrument) is blown thrice to alert all Warkaris. At the first signal, all warkaris get ready to leave. At the second signal, the Dindis stand in line and start walking at the third signal. After 4 to 5 km, they take a quick break for breakfast.
Economic impact
An estimated one million pilgrims, either varkaris traveling with the ''palkhi'' or independent travelers, travel to Pandharpur each year, who require accommodation provided by the
''mathas'' and temporary lodging houses.
Public health issues
Because the ''wari'' brings many people on the way to Pandharpur through many localities, public health measures have been implemented since the early
British colonial
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
period. These included compulsory vaccinations for diseases, such as
cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
and
plague
Plague or The Plague may refer to:
Agriculture, fauna, and medicine
*Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis''
* An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural)
* A pandemic caused by such a disease
* A swarm of pes ...
, segregation of the infected, and restrictions on mobility.
According to Manjiri Kamat, the colonial administrators had other motivations, such as generating revenue by collecting pilgrim tax, or maintaining law and order for implementing public health measures. The colonial government's public health measures in the early part of the 20th century included attaching medical staff to different ''palkhis'', removing infected persons, modifying wells for drinking water, digging trenches, providing bins for waste collection, and employing sanitation staff.
The requirement to be vaccinated against cholera and
typhoid
Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...
in order to join a dindi has continued in the present times.
In 2020, due to the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
pandemic, the wari was reduced with fifty varkaris joining the march to Pandharpur. The ''paduka'' of the saints were either driven to or flown to Pandharpur for Shayani Ekadashi on July 1, 2020.
Goa Dindi festival
The Dindi festival is an annual festival held in
Margao
Margao or Madgaon is the commercial capital of the Indian state of Goa. It stands on banks of the Sal river and is the administrative headquarters of Salcete sub-district and South Goa district. It is Goa's second largest city by population aft ...
,
Goa
Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
's Vithal Rakhumai temple, and the Damodar Temple in the month of November.
The Dindi festival is dedicated to
Hindu deity
Hindu deities are the gods and goddesses in Hinduism. The terms and epithets for deities within the diverse traditions of Hinduism vary, and include Deva, Devi, Ishvara, Ishvari, Bhagavān and Bhagavati.
The deities of Hinduism have evolved ...
Vithoba
Vithoba, also known as Vi(t)thal(a) and Panduranga, is a Hindu deity predominantly worshipped in the Indian state of Maharashtra and Karnataka. He is generally considered as a manifestation of the god Vishnu, or his avatar Krishna. Vithoba is of ...
, the festival dates back to 1909. It is one of the oldest festivals in
Salcete
Salcete ( Konkani: ''Saxtti''/''Xaxtti''; pt, Salcette) is a sub-division of the district of South Goa, in the state of Goa, situated by the west coast of India.
The Sal river and its backwaters dominate the landscape of Salcete. Hist ...
(Margao) taluka.
See also
*
आषाढी वारी (पंढरपूर) on Marathi Wikipedia
*
Bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during 6th centur ...
*
Dindi dance
*
Sant Mat
Sant Mat was a spiritual movement on the Indian subcontinent during the 13th–17th centuries CE. The name literally means "teachings of sants", i.e. mystic Hindu saints. Through association and seeking truth by following ''sants'' and their teac ...
*
Famous Hindu yatras
*
Hindu pilgrimage sites in India
In Hinduism, the yatra (pilgrimage) to the tirthas (sacred places) has special significance for earning the punya (spiritual merit) needed to attain the moksha (salvation) by performing the darśana (viewing of deity), the parikrama (circumam ...
*
List of Hindu festivals
Across the globe, Hindus celebrate a diverse number of festivals and celebrations, typically marking events from ancient India and often coinciding with seasonal changes. These celebrations take place either on a fixed annual date on the solar ...
*
Padayatra
A padayatra ( sa, पादयात्रा, pādayātrā, journey by foot, translit-std=ISO) is a journey undertaken by politicians or prominent citizens to interact more closely with different parts of society, educate about issues concerning ...
*
Ratha Yatra
Ratha Yatra (), or Chariot festival, is any public procession in a chariot. The term particularly refers to the annual Ratha Yatra in Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and other East Indian states, particularly the Odia festival that involve a ...
*
Tirtha
*
Vitthal Temple, Pandharpur (section Dindi Yatra)
References
{{Reflist
External links
*Some Videos: use Hash code #Bhaktivatavaran on Youtube and watch dindi videos
Hindu pilgrimages
Maharashtra
Pilgrimage in India
Tourist attractions in Solapur district
Warkari