Pune extends warm welcome to warkaris

8/7/2018

PUNE: Puneites welcomes the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and Sant Tukaram Maharaj palkhi processions which have entered in the city on Saturday.

Wari is undertaken in the month of Aashaadh according to the Hindu calendar, which is around the months of June and July. Every year, lakhs of devotees walk along the route from Alandi to Pandharpur and Dehu to Pandharpur and offer their respects to Lord Vitthal.

The Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj palkhi welcomed by Mukta Tilak, Pune mayor at 11 am near Kalas tax office on Alandi road while the Sant Tukaram Maharaj palkhi will be welcomed at the Bopodi traffic signal at around 1 pm.

Both the palkhis then met at Mumbai-Pune road near national bank for agriculture and rural development (Nabard) office, they welcomed by the mayor, officials from the Pune municipal corporation (PMC) and other MLAs and MLCs, to the city at 3 pm.

Thousands of devotees from the city are planning to give a grand welcome to the warkaris, with many people planning to distribute food items on the occasion. The Pune municipal corporation too has made special arrangements to ensure that the palkhi procession goes smoothly.

Officials from PMC said, "All departments of PMC have been working relentlessly for providing warkaris with all necessary facilities. The provision for stay of warkaris has been done in various school while pandals have also been constructed at various places. Toilets, including bio toilets, have been erected at most locations and facilities for clean drinking water and 24*7 water supply will be made available for the devotees."

In the environment-friendly bio toilet system, anaerobic bacteria present in bio tanks convert faecal matter into water and gas. After disinfection, the grey water is discharged on the tracks and the gases are released. The liquid waste is removed from the pipes during regular cleaning.

The officials added that the health department of PMC has formed teams, which can help provide medical aid to devotees in need.

Suraj Mandhare, chief executive officer, zilla parishad, said, "Officials from the health department would be present along the palkhi route to provide medical aid to devotees. They will also be visiting the places where devotees will be staying, to provide any medical help."