Pandharpur Wari 2019: Schedule, Route and more about annual pilgrimage of Sant Dnyaneshwar

Pandharpur Wari 2019: Pandharpur Wari or Vari, the annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur - in the honour of Sant Dnyaneshwar, is scheduld to start tomorrow, i.e. June 25, 2019. Thousands of devotees, carrying the paduka (sandals) of the saint, will take part in the Palkhi procession, which will cover around 164 km between Alandi and Pandharpur. The palkhi which will be started from Sant Dnyaneshwar’s shrine in Alandi, is scheduled to end in Pandharpur on Ashadhi Ekadashi, i.e. July 11, 2019.

Sant Dnyaneshwar, popularly known as Jnaneshwar, Jnanadeva, Dnyandev or Mauli, was a 13th-century Marathi saint, poet, philosopher and yogi of the Nath Vaishnava tradition. Born in 1275 AD, Dnyaneshwar had authored several Marathi literary works, including a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita known as Dnyaneshwari and Amrutanubhav. Dnyaneshwar went into Sanjeevan Samadhi at the age of 21 in Alandi. His samadhi lies in the Siddhesvara Temple complex in Alandi.

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Meanwhile, the palkhi of Sant Tukaram has already started its journey from Dehu today and will reach Pandharpur on July 11. Sant Tukaram, also referred to Bhakta Tukaram, Tukaram Maharaj, Tukoba and Tukobaraya, was a 17th-century Hindu poet and sant of the Bhakti movement in Maharashtra, India. Tukaram is a reknowned devotee of Lord Vitthola, a form of Lord Vishnu.

What is Pandharpur Wari?

Pandharpur Wari or Vari is an annual pilgrimage (yatra) of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and Sant Tukaram Maharaj from the temple in Pune's Alandi to Pandharpur. Pandharpur is the seat of the Hindu god Vithoba in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Most of the participants in the Pandharpur Wari processions include farmers, generally from Maharashtra. Covering the routes of Dehu phata and Alandi, respectively, the annual pilgrimage of Sant Dnyaneshwar will depart for Pandhurpur on Tuesday morning.

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The 700-800-year-old traditional foot march from various locations in Maharashtra to Vithoba temple, Pandharpur, attracts a total of over a million pilgrims. During the 21-day-long journey, devotees are seen wearing holy basil beads and singing the glories of Vithoba like - "Gyanba Tukaram", commemorating the saints. Upon reaching Pandharpur on Ashadi Ekadashi, these devotees take a holy dip in the sacred Chandrabhaga River/Bhima River before proceeding to visit the Vitthal temple.