Pandharpur Wari

The Wari is undertaken in honour of the god Vithoba.
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Location of Pandharpur and the starting place of important palkhis
Tukaram Maharaj palakhi (palanquin)
Tukaram Maharaj palkhi (palanquin) Rath
Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi 2nd Circular ringan. Near, Khudus Phata, Malshiras.
Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi 3rd Circular ringan. Near, Thakur buva samadhi, Velapur.
Pilgrims bathing in the Chandrabhaga river at Pandharpur

Pandharpur Wari or Wari is a yatra to Pandharpur, Maharashtra, to honor Vithoba. It involves carrying the paduka of a saint in a palkhi, most notably of Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram, from their respective shrines to Pandharpur. Many pilgrims join this procession on foot. Warkari is a Marathi term which means "one who performs the wari". The tradition is more than 700 to 800 years old.[1][2][3]

Marches happen on foot from various locations in Maharashtra to Vithoba Temple.[4] This yatra takes 21 days. Along the way, many other palkis join the two most revered palkhis. Starting from their towns located in Pune district of Maharashtra: Sant Dnyaneshwar's palkhi leaves from Alandi, while Tukaram's begins at Dehu. The wari culminates at the Vithoba Temple on the holy occasion of Shayani Ekadashi.[5] Devotees from across Maharashtra and nearby areas leave for Pandharpur, wearing holy basil beads and singing the glories of Vithoba and songs like "Gyanba Tukaram", commemorating the saints.[6] When they reach Pandharpur on Shayani Ekadashi, the devotees bathe in the sacred Bhima River before visiting the temple.

  1. ^ "Pandharpur Wari 2015, Schedule, Route and Pandharpur Yatra Videos". Punebuzz.com. 8 June 2015. Archived from the original on 27 July 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  2. ^ "Warkari wave sweeps Pune city, Pimpri-Chinchwad". Indianexpress.com. 22 June 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  3. ^ "Pandharpur Palkhi Sohala 2015". Tourismpune.org. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  4. ^ Nitnaware, Himanshu (3 June 2019). "This year's wari moves towards greener pastures; plantation drive to be undertaken on widened Mangalwedha-Pandharpur stretch". Pune Mirror. Archived from the original on 13 June 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  5. ^ "Ashadi Ekadashi, Pandharpur". Incredibleindia.org. Archived from the original on 30 July 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Elaborate arrangements for Sant Tukaram Maharaj palkhi procession". Times of India. Retrieved 11 August 2017.