Devoted Puneites play host to warkaris

The city once again proved its high devotion quotient on Tuesday. Warkaris rested while the Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi halted at Nivadungya Vithoba temple and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi at Palkhi Vithoba Mandir in Bhawani Peth for the day.

Puneites thronged the area to help and devoted their time to warkaris. Volunteers put up special food stalls and many shop owners too pitched in for the warkaris.

The area, however, had more than its usual share of beggars. Garbage was littered across the roads, threatening a serious health hazard. Unmindful of it, children, women and senior citizens thronged the area, renting the air with chants of ‘Mauli, Mauli’ and ‘Gyanba Tukaram.’

Trustees of Palkhi Vitthal Mandir, Bhavani Peth — Gorakhnath Bikhule, Rajendra Kondre and Ratnakar Harishchandre — were confident about the security. They said, “Taking special precautions for security, we have installed 13 CCTVs, two more than last year. Besides, the police department and our volunteers are keeping a close watch for security.”

The monsoon too bowed to the Wari. Harishchandre said, “This year, there are more number of warkaris as it has rained well this monsoon. Most of the farmers have done their sowing and were able to set out on the journey.”

Muktabai Mahila Dindi, an all-women dindi from Buldhana district, agreed that the good rain had infused them with enthusiasm. “We have done the work back home as it rained in the initial period of the farming season. This gave us an opportunity to start our dindi,” they said. Sharadabai Jadhav, Vastalabai  Kakad and others said they have been participating in the Wari for the last nine years. All these women are farm labourers.

Sight-seeing topped the warkaris’ agenda after prayers and bhajans. They set out on foot, throwing traffic out of gear in core city areas. Some visited the city’s icons the Shaniwarwada and Lal Mahal, others went to commercial hubs Laxmi Road and Bajirao Road.

Serving God

For Asma Shaikh and her aunt Raziya Shaikh, it is a matter of pride to distribute food packets to warkaris for the last few years. “We believe serving mankind is serving God. These warkaris are messengers of God and by serving them we feel that we are serving the Almighty,” they said.

For the last 35 years, Rupa Dadlani (67),  a handicapped woman, has been visiting the Wari to take darshan of warkaris and Lord Vitthal. She said, “I come from Ajmera Complex in Pimpri every year to take darshan. It is God’s wish that I should come to meet Him and so, I could walk with my artificial legs.”

Mobile health care

Two mobile clinics of Symbiosis Health Institute took care of minor problems of the warkaris. Dr Dhanashree More said, “Most of the warkaris complain about running nose, loose motions and stomach and body ache. Since most of them are senior citizens and as the rainy season has set in, these are common problems.”

Traffic arrangements for palkhis today

As the palkhis of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and Sant Tukaram Maharaj will be leaving for Pandharpur on Wednesday, the Pune traffic police have made arrangements to ensure smooth procession of the palkhis.

The palkhi of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj will leave for Pandharpur via Pune-Saswad Road while the palkhi of Sant Tukaram Maharaj will leave for Pandharpur via Pune-Solapur Road.

The palkhi of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj has halted at Vithoba temple in Bhawani Peth and will proceed for Pandharpur via Ramoshi Gate police chowki, Bhawani Mata temple, Mukti Fauj Chowk, Pulgate, Mammadevi Chowk, Solapur Road, Hadapsar Gadital and Saswad Road.

The palkhi of Sant Tukaram Maharaj has halted at Nivdunga Vithoba temple and will proceed for Pandharpur via Aruna Chowk, Samadhan Chowk, Pimpri Chowk, AD Camp Chowk, Ramoshi Gate police chowki, Bhawani Mata temple, Mukti Fauj Chowk, Pulgate, Mammadevi Chowk, Solapur Road, Loni Kalbhor to Pandharpur.

Routes closed today

The following routes will be closed for traffic from 5 am on Wednesday till the palkhi processions leave the city:
Sant Kabir Chowk to Belbaug Chowk
Sant Kabir Chowk to Ramoshi Gate Chowk
Seven Loves Chowk to Ramoshi Gate Chowk
Golibar Maidan to Seven Loves Chowk
Mammadevi Chowk to Golibar Maidan stretch
Bishop’s School to Mammadevi Chowk
Wanawadi Bazar to Mammadevi Chowk
Tryluck Chowk, MG Road
Muredha Nala Chowk to Bhairoba Nala Chowk
Bhairoba Nala Chowk to Mammadevi Chowk
Jambhulkar Chowk to Fatimanagar Chowk
BT Kawade Junction to Magarpatta junction to Hadapsar
Serum Institute Junction, Solapur Road
Mantarwadi Phata to Dive Ghat

No heavy vehicles on these routes
The police have prohibited movement of heavy vehicles on the following roads:
Theur Phata to Pune
Mantarwadi Phata to Hadapsar Gadital
Kharadi bypass to Magarpatta on Solapur Road
Maldhakka Chowk to Power House Chowk

Three chains worth Rs1.36 lakh snatched

Chain-snatchers struck at three places on Tuesday when the Pune police were busy managing the security arrangements for the Wari.

One of the incidents took place during the palkhi procession and the culprit was caught by warkaris and handed over to the police.
According to the police, the estimated value of the jewellery stolen in the three cases was over Rs1.36 lakh. Ornaments valued at Rs50,000 were recovered from the chain-snatcher caught by warkaris.

The three incidents took place in Nigdi, Chinchwad and Shukrawar Peth areas.

Warkaris nabbed Raviraj Boju Shetty (30) with the gold chain that he snatched from a devotee, Malti Kailas Kathale (48), who was having darshan of the palkhi of Sant Tukaram Maharaj at Nigdi on Monday afternoon.

Taking advantage of the crowd, Shetty tried fleeing on a motorbike after snatching the chain before warkaris intercepted and nabbed him after Malti raised an alarm.

In the second incident, Lisy Vinod Kutty (30) registered a case with MIDC Bhosari police station against two unidentified motorcycle-borne persons who snatched her gold chain worth Rs40,000 at Shahunagar on Chinchwad road on Monday evening.
Two unidentified persons on motorcycle snatched gold chain worth Rs46,000 at Shukrawar Peth on Sunday evening. Victim Kanchan Sanjay Khedekar lodged a complaint with Khadak police station.

Pilgrims threaten to gherao CM over cow slaughter

Warkaris have demanded that chief minister Prithviraj Chavan hold a meeting with them by July 5 regarding a law banning cow-slaughter, failing which they will gherao him in Pandharpur on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi.

The Maharashtra Rajya Warkari Mahamandal (MRWM) has been demanding a law banning cow slaughter across the state. The MRWM had taken out a protest march on the issue during the assembly’s winter session on December 19 last year.

Bandatatya Karadkar, leader of the warkaris, said at a press conference held in the city on Tuesday, “The warkaris across the state, farmers and various organisations have come together for a law banning cow slaughter. Last year, we had given a memorandum to the state government and met chief minister Prithviraj Chavan two or three times but he has not acted on it.”

“Now this time we have demanded that the chief minister hold a meeting with the warkaris before July 5, otherwise we will gherao him in Pandharpur on Ashadhi Ekadashi when he comes to perform the puja,” Karadkar said.