INDIA, June 19, 2025 (Times Now News): Palki is a 1000-year-old tradition where people take an annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur. Pandharpur is the place in Maharashtra where the seat of Hindu God Vithoba resides. The festival was started by some saints in Maharashtra and it continues to be observed, thanks to varkaris (followers of the saints). There are two main palkis – Sant Dnyaneshwar’s from Alandi and Sant Tukaram’s from Dehu. Sant Dnyaneshwar was a 13th-century mystic and Sant Tukaram was a 17th-century poet-saint. The journey spans roughly 155 miles, with stops across villages and towns, including spiritual gatherings, communal meals, and cultural festivities. The Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palki procession will set off on June 19, from Alandi. Around 4,430 dindis (group of Hindu devotees of one caste or village who are part of a larger palkhi) have joined the procession and together they will head towards Pandharpur. Food, luggage trucks and everything else has been taken care of. In fact, traffic arrangements are also in place so that there are no bottlenecks during the journey.

Talking about the preparations, Yogi Niranjan Nath Guru Shantinath, chief trustee of the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Sansthan, said, “We have completed the chariot preparation, conducted the necessary traffic inspections, and issued the RTO certification. Private vehicles will not be allowed as they pose a major burden on local traffic management during the pilgrimage. However, we have issued vehicle passes to essential service providers and residents.” The official journey of the palkhi will begin after the evening aarti has happened. The palkhi yatri will complete its journey in nearly 21 days and it will culminate on the day of Ashadhi Ekadashi. Devotees are chanting “Gyanba-Tukaram” with reverence and this bears testimony to their faith and devotion. Upon reaching Pandharpur, devotees take a holy dip in the sacred Chandrabhaga River/Bhima River before proceeding to the Vitthal temple.

https://www.timesnownews.com/spiritual/pandharpur-wari-palki-yatra-2025-official-journey-to-begin-today-know-all-about-this-festival-article-152107607

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