temples and pilgrimage
What is the Pandharpur-Alandi-Dehu pilgrimage route and how is it organized?
The heart of the Wari
The Wari is rooted in the Varkari tradition, a devotional path centered on Vitthal, the form of Vishnu worshipped at Pandharpur. Varkari means one who keeps the vow, and pilgrims have been making this journey for many centuries. The tradition holds that walking to Pandharpur with love and devotion is itself an act of worship. Two of the most beloved saint-poets of Maharashtra, Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram, are at the center of the pilgrimage. Their memory is carried in two great processions, one starting from Alandi near Pune, where Dnyaneshwar is enshrined, and one from Dehu, also near Pune, which is the home of Tukaram.
The palkhi and the dindi
Each procession is led by a palkhi, a palanquin carrying the sandals of the saint. The sandals are treated as the living presence of the saint, and pilgrims walk alongside them as if walking with the saint himself. Within the larger procession, pilgrims travel in smaller groups called dindis. A dindi is a community group, often from the same village or neighborhood, that walks together, sings together, and looks after one another on the road. The two palkhis, from Alandi and Dehu, travel separate routes through different towns and villages before converging near Pandharpur.
Singing all the way
Music is inseparable from the Wari. Pilgrims sing abhangas, devotional poems composed by the Varkari saints, throughout the walk. The singing is constant, day and night, and is seen as a way of keeping the mind fixed on Vitthal. The rhythm of the walk and the rhythm of the songs become one thing. For many pilgrims, the singing is as important as reaching the destination.
How it is organized today
The Wari happens twice a year, timed to Ashadhi Ekadashi and Kartiki Ekadashi, the eleventh days of the lunar months of Ashadha and Kartika. Ashadhi Ekadashi draws the larger crowd. The Maharashtra state government plays a major role in managing the logistics. This includes road arrangements, medical camps, drinking water, and crowd management along the route. The scale is enormous. Dindis register and are assigned places in the procession. Despite this organization, the pilgrimage keeps a deeply personal feeling for most who walk it. People come from all walks of life, and many families have been making the walk for generations.