These will be partially closed; major roads in the city to be affected; procession expected at 4 pm
The Pune-Mumbai, Pune-Solapur and Pune-Ahmednagar highways will be partially closed for traffic on Monday and Tuesday for the palkhi processions of Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, which are scheduled to arrive in the city around 4 pm on Monday.
Major roads in the city will also be closed for traffic and vehicles will be diverted to other roads, which may cause traffic snarls.
Pune city traffic department has made alternative arrangements for the incoming and outgoing traffic from the city via highways.
DCP (traffic) Vishwas Pandhare said, “We have identified alternatives routes that can be used during the palkhi processions. The palkhis will enter the main city areas on July 1 around 4 pm, and vehicles coming from highways to the city or moving out of the city will have to take the alternative routes from July 1 to July 3.” anuj.ismail@dnaindia.net
Grand welcome to Sant Tukaram Palkhi at Akurdi
Accompanied by chants of ‘Tukaram-Tukaram’, ‘Dynanoba Mauli Tukaram’ to musical instruments and showering of belful, the Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi, on its way to Pandharpur, reached Bhakti-Shakti Chowk, Nigdi on Sunday at 5.30 pm.
Pimpri-Chinchwad mayor Mohini Lande and commissioner Dr Shreekar Pardeshi along with his family welcomed the palkhi at the chowk on old Pune-Mumbai highway. The highway was closed to vehicles. The mayor peformed pooja of the palkhi.
The devotees with veenas, mridangams, dholkis and chipalis passed the Bhakti-Shakti Chowk at 6.30 pm. The palkhi halts at Vitthal Rukmini Mandir in Akurdi. Hundreds of devotees queued up at the temple for darshan. Leaders of dindis (groups of pilgrims) were felicitated on behalf of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) by presenting them idols of Vitthal-Rukmai. Nearly 350 idols were presented.
Warkaris slip on banana peels; 5 hurt
Five warkaris were injured after they slipped on banana peels thrown on the road while participating in the Wari from Nigdi to Akurdi on Sunday. The incident led to a hue and cry.
This year too, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation failed to manage the banana skin menace. The health department failed to pass on the message to the warkaris that they should not throw banana peels on the road. Finally, the civic officials announced from the pandal at Bhakti-Shakti Chowk to stop distribution of bananas, which however, went on.
Now, catch live AIR commentary on arrival of palkhi processions
While medium wave is considered to be the frequency for oldies and FM for the generation next, All India Radio (AIR), Pune station will broadcast a live commentary of the Wari on July 1, when the palkhis arrive in Pune. This is for the first time that AIR Pune station is broadcasting a live commentary on the palkhis in Hindi.
The live broadcast would be available on Vividh Bharati (101 FM) between 4.30 pm and 6.30 pm on Monday. The All India Radio Pune station has deployed a special team of commentators and an expert in sant literature, Ashok Kamat, for the programme. The AIR Pune would broadcast it through its FM transmitter for an area of 30 to 40 km around Pune.
The programme executive at AIR Pune, Ravindra Khasnis said that the AIR Pune station every year broadcasts live commentary when the palkhis arrive in Pune. A special booth is set up at Shivajinagar outside the Bank of Maharashtra headquarters and live running commentary is broadcast in Marathi on all relay centres in Maharashtra. Khasnis said, “The Marathi live programme would go to all 21 relay centres in Maharashtra and Hindi live and would be done for Pune FM, which is on 101 Mega Hertz popularly known as Vividh Bharati.”
He said that for the Marathi broadcast, the AIR has deployed two announcers and three experts. While the Marathi live broadcast would be done for 21 relay centres the Hindi one would be heard only on AIR Pune 101 FM, which is Vividh Bharati.
Bajaj Auto workers voice protest during Wari
As many as 925 workers of the Chakan plant of two-wheeler manufacturing giant Bajaj Auto Ltd (BAL), who started a ‘stop work’ agitation from Tuesday, walked in Sant Tukaran Maharaj Palkhi from Dehu to Akurdi on Sunday as part of their agitation.
Workers were in the company uniform and displayed placards. They made a human chain from Dehu to Akurdi to raise their voice against the management.
Vishwa Kalyan Kamgar Sanghatana (VKKS) president Dilip Pawar told dna, “We joined the Wari from Dehu Road .We are continuing our indefinite strike as there is no response from the management. All we want is that our company should give justice to workers.”
The workers in the Wari shared their message through placards that displayed, ‘What is behind Pulsar? It sold for Rs75,000 but each workers gets only Rs22 in hand. The company’s annual profit was Rs3,400 crore.” There are a total of 925 workers on the roll and 1,500 on contract basis besides trainees at the Chakan plant. The ‘stop work’ agitation is led by the union for alleged harassment by the company management.
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