The wari is a tradition that has been truly Maharashtrian, mainly Deccan, for more than 400 years and more. The dedicated devotees in the wari, are the warkaris, and they consider God as the ultimate truth and accept that all humans are ultimately equal. Being a warkari requires dedication beyond devotion, and includes appropriate ethical and moral behaviour and lifestyle. The great walk from Dehu and Alandi to Pandharpur is perhaps one of the largest voluntary congregations of humans in the world in a region for a considerable number of days.
Velapur is an important staging point for the Sant Dnyaneshwar palkhi that comes from Alandi via Pune and went ahead to Pandharpur, crossing more than 220 kilometres, in time for the Ashaadh Ekadashi. Lakhs (ie hundreds of thousands) of warkaris who walk all the way to Pandharpur, come to rest at mid-route at Velapur. During the monsoon, the camping grounds at Velapur is slushy, in pouring rain, and there is hardly any adequate electricity or sanitation at the premises. But, they come silently and organise themselves in neat quadrants, and keep chanting their prayers until about midnight. Soon after, the half a million or more pilgrims rest it out, sleeping or praying, silently.
The entire camping ground is taken over, methodically, with tents coming up and water tanks filled up. There is no confusion and there is no chaos. This photograph was taken sometime after midnight, with the pilgrims resting silently, and an enormous calm filling the camping ground. Sometimes it rained, and the pilgrims just shrugged it off, pulling out plastic sheets and covering themselves. Even the rain seemed to be like a blessing.
Velapur is an important staging point for the Sant Dnyaneshwar palkhi that comes from Alandi via Pune and went ahead to Pandharpur, crossing more than 220 kilometres, in time for the Ashaadh Ekadashi. Lakhs (ie hundreds of thousands) of warkaris who walk all the way to Pandharpur, come to rest at mid-route at Velapur. During the monsoon, the camping grounds at Velapur is slushy, in pouring rain, and there is hardly any adequate electricity or sanitation at the premises. But, they come silently and organise themselves in neat quadrants, and keep chanting their prayers until about midnight. Soon after, the half a million or more pilgrims rest it out, sleeping or praying, silently.
The entire camping ground is taken over, methodically, with tents coming up and water tanks filled up. There is no confusion and there is no chaos. This photograph was taken sometime after midnight, with the pilgrims resting silently, and an enormous calm filling the camping ground. Sometimes it rained, and the pilgrims just shrugged it off, pulling out plastic sheets and covering themselves. Even the rain seemed to be like a blessing.
