Context: With COVID-19 cases rising in Pune, Satara and Solapur districts of Maharashtra, authorities have decided to cancel the AshadhiWari. In a bid to uphold the 800-year-old tradition of AshadhiWari, the State government said the padukas would be carried by road or air to Pandharpur in Solapur district.

About Pandharpur Wari

• Pandharpur Wari or Vari is an annual pilgrimage (yatra) of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and Sant Tukaram Maharaj from temples in Pune's Alandi and Dehu respectively to Pandharpur in neighboring district Solapur.
• Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi Prasthan begins on the auspicious day of holy-Ashadhi Ekadashi.
• A Palakhi carrying Paduka (footprints) of notable saints like Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram is carried out from their respective shrines, in which millions of devotees participate.
• Wari means regular visiting of a particular (religious) place.
• Wari of Pandharpur means to walk from one’s own house to Pandharpur for the Lord and return back to house.
• The conglomeration of many Warkari is conventionally called Dindi.
• There are four main Seasons of pilgrimage (wari): Chaitri Yatra, Ashadhi Yatra, Kartiki Yatra and Maghi Yatra.

About Ashadhi Yatra

• It is an annual pilgrimage made on foot by lakhs of warkaris (devotees) to the temple town of Pandharpur carrying palkhis (palanquins) bearing the padukas (footprints) of saints Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram.
• It is also known as Ashadhi Ekadashi or Devashayani Ekadashi.
• It is believed that Lord Vitthal starts his sleep from this day.
• During the period of Aashadhi and Kartiki, the temple remains open to all devotees for twenty-four hours of the day.

Origins of this Wari Tradition 

• According to one record, Sant Dnyaneshwar’s Father, Vitthalpant used to go to Pandharpur in the month of Ashadha and Kartik prior to the 14th century. 
• Whereas another record says that Sant Dnyaneshwar in the 13th century and Sant Tukaram in the 17th century started going to Pandharpur by walking to reach their beloved God Vitthal.
• However, It was Narayan Maharaj, son of Sant Tukaram who started the tradition of carrying the paduka’s of the Saints, in 1685.

About its Journey

• The Pandharpur Wari journey has been recorded as one of the most visited places in a single day in the World Book of Records.
• Tukaram Palkhi starts from Dehu & reaches Pandharpur via Akurdi, Loni Kalbhor, Yavat, Varvand, Baramati, Indapur, Akluj & Wakhri respectively.
• Dnyaneshwar Palkhi starts from Alandi in Pune district and reaches Pandharpur via Pune, Saswad, Jejuri, Lonand, Taradgaon, Phaltan, Natepute, Malshiras, Velapur, Shegaon & Wakhri to Pandharpur.
• In Pune, both the Palkhis meet together and then they meet in Warkari and then further meet just before Pandharpur.

Participants of the Wari

• Anyone who participates in the palkhi gets a majestic title of a ‘Warkari’ and groups of Warkaris is called as ‘Dindi’.
• People of any age and of any caste and creed participate in the walk of spirituality, however, the majority of the people participating in the wari consists of farmers.

Sant Tukaram’s Palkhi

• Tukaram Maharaj was a sant and a poet of the 17th century. He was born in Dehu village near Pune. His poems were known as Abhangs and were devoted to Lord Vithoba. 
• His Bhakti Movement played a significant role in King Shivaji’s rise against the foreign invaders.
• As the birthplace of Sant Tukaram is Dehu, his palkhi starts from Dehu and thus a spiritual journey of the cleansing heart, soul, body, and mind begin.