At the risk of sounding clichéd, I must admit this is
one my most divine posts. Ever since I moved to Pune eight years ago, I wanted
to see what the deal with ‘Waari’ was. I must confess, I had no
idea what this was, before moving to Pune. For those who are living in ignorant
bliss like me, here’s a brief background to this:
Waari is an annual pilgrimage in Maharashtra
undertaken in the Hindu month of ‘Ashadh’
(around June/July). Every year, millions of devotees walk along the 250 km
route from Alandi (near Pune) to Pandharpur (Southern Maharashtra) to
offer their respects to Lord Vitthal
(reincarnation of the Hindu God, Vishnu).
The journey to Pandharpur takes about three weeks and many pilgrims also make
the return journey on foot. ‘Warkaris’, as the pilgrims of the Waari are called, are mainly farmers from
various parts of Maharashtra and some come from the adjoining states of
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The beginning of this rich tradition can be
traced back to as long as 1000 years.
‘Warkaris’ walk in small groups called a ‘Dindi’. All Dindis combined, make a
Waari. Every year as many as 300 registered Dindis (more if one counts the
unregistered Dindis) and millions of devotees march along the route to
Pandharpur. Traditionally, two ‘Palkhis’
(Palanquins) reach Pandharpur on the eve of ‘Ashadhi Ekadashi’ - Ashadh being the fourth month and Ekadashi being
the 11th day of Ashadh. After meeting for a brief period in Pune,
St.(St. for Sant in Marathi / Saint in English) Dnyaneshwar and St. Tukaram’s
Palkhis go their separate ways until they meet again in Pandharpur. The 2014 Palkhis of St. Dnyaneshwar and St. Tukaram
left from Alandi on Friday, 20th June, 2014. After reaching Pune the
same evening (some Dindis reached early morning on Saturday, 21st
June, 2014), the Warkaris rested in Pune for 2 nights, before heading towards
Saswad. The aim is to reach Padharpur by Monday, 7th July, 2014 (on
the eve of Ashadhi Ekadashi).
Why a sudden post on this, one might ask. The reason
is, after years of only thinking and talking about it, I finally had a chance
to participate in this culturally rich heritage. Given my interest in
understanding different cultures, being part of the Waari was an important aspirational
item on my list.
On the morning of Saturday, 21st June,
during one of my annual whining sessions about not being able to participate in
the Waari, we finally decided to be part of the celebrations this year. We
quickly made plans to check into a hotel on the outskirts of Pune and reach
there in time to welcome St. Dnyaneshwar’s Palkhi the following day. I must
admit, this was one of the most exciting waiting periods for me. I had heard
and seen so much about the hugely celebrated pilgrimage, that my eyes were
twinkling like a child waiting to get on to his / her favourite ride at the
amusement park. Since the morning of Monday, 23rd June, we
took turns to go on the terrace to look for any oncoming Dindis. As soon as the
crowd started becoming dense, we decided it was time for us to begin one of the
most thrilling journeys of our lives. We began the journey by walking towards
the Palkhi and once we sighted it, became part of the crowd and walked back up with
one of the Dindis. Although not strong believers by any definition, we were
completely immersed in all the proceedings and felt like one of the pilgrims. A chain of hundreds of thousands of
people walking for miles with non-stop chants of Gyaanbaa-Tukaram on their lips was an incredible spectacle and a
literal music to ears! The Dindi we became part of rendered classical based
Abhangs (traditional songs sung in appreciation of God). It didn’t matter if I
didn’t really understand what they were chanting – I had still become a part of
them. Seeing my rather flashy camera, the Warkaris were all the more willing to
include me in their Dindi. Some even posed for me! Soulful sounds of the ‘Taal’
(Cymbals), ‘Mridanga’ (Indian drum), ‘Ektari’ (Single stringed instrument)
and the Warkaris’ singing, was hypnotizing, to say the least One could easily
go into a trance amidst such a captivating situation.
It was amazing to see so much devotion and
perseverance to walk so much to meet Lord Vitthal. Walking in the Waari is
considered a pious thing to do and it was extremely heartening to see people
doing this with utmost sincerity. The disciplined
and systematic approach by all involved was a welcome change from the usual
chaos once expects to see at an event of this magnitude.
Those who don’t participate in the actual pilgrimage,
get involved by doing their bit for the Warkaris. During this long walk,
pilgrims are provided with medical assistance, healthy food and clothing in
case of severe weather conditions.
While waiting for the Palkhi’s arrival, we met a
Warkari who too was awaiting the arrival of his Dindi, which was to follow the
Palkhi. During our conversation with him, we found out some interesting details
about his life. He is a farmer from the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, who
has been walking in the Waari for the last couple of years, ever since his
mother, a regular pilgrim, was unable to do so because of ill health. It was
interesting to know how people also inherit customs like these.
My belief in the saying, “Good things come to those
who wait” has been strengthened
since that day. I am now waiting to once again walk in the Waari next
year - hopefully cover a longer distance! Till then, I leave you with some images from my most divine journey
so far.
