Now, devotees to get e-blessings

The tradition of Bhakti in Pandharpur gets a hi-tech touch

He stood barefoot on a brick in Pandharpur centuries ago on the request of his ardent devotee, saint Pundalik, and will now satisfy his cyber-age followers and manifest himself on the computer screen at the click of the mouse. 

This means that devotees of lord Vittal all over the world need not travel all the way to seek his blessings.

Computer-savvy devotees can now offer hi-tech pujas, says Ameya Hete of Valuable Group, which is hosting the website. 

The Valuable Group, run jointly by Narendra Hete and Sanjay Gaikwad is involved in info-media-entertainment solutions and brought out the site - site.vitthalrukmini.org - as an offering to the Lord’s temple trust in Pandharpur.

The website is being launched on Thursday.

“But the enchanting bhajans by his devotees will continue to call every Varkari (lord’s ardent devotee) to the temple on Kartiki and Ashadhi Ekadashi to bask in his blissful glory,” says Pandurang Mhatre who resists believing in on-line puja.

 “Every Varkari aspires to touch the Lord’s feet and see him in Pandharpur. I personally cannot digest this idea,” says Mugdha Muley from Goregaon. A major feature of the Varkari movement in Maharashtra has been the congregation of devotees irrespective of their castes.

“The Varkari sampraday (community) has successfully broken social barriers by including women among the saint-poets,” reveals Shrutika Sahasrabuddhe from
Belapur.