MUMBAI, INDIA, July 11, 2008: An estimated crowd of over a million people have walked together in the Waari — a holy pilgrimage in Maharashtra that is perhaps the world’s longest pilgrimage.
Waari is undertaken in the Hindu month of Ashadhi Ekadashi. Every year, devotees walk along the 280 mile route from Alandi (near Pune) to Pandarpur (near Kolhapur) in Western Maharashtra. They walk to reach Pandharpur and offer their respects to Lord Vithal (reincarnation of Vishnu in the form of Krishna). Remarkably, in over 700 years of Waari tradition, no stampede or chaos has ever taken place.
The waarkaris (pilgrims) are mainly agriculturists and the majority of them are poor. After travelling for almost 15-20 days, devotees reach Pandarpur to meet their favorite God, Krishna. This year Waari started on June 26 and ended on July 14th.