65-year-old ‘Shravanbal’ takes elderly kin for wari

Villager pulling his septuagenarian brother and sister-in-law along in a small carriage

The myth of of ‘Shravanbal’ is one many kids are acquainted with, speaking of a devout child who carried his aged parents in baskets for a pilgrimage. Mirror ran into a real-life character of this sort at Wednesday’s Palkhi — a 65-year-old resident of Pune district who is physically toting his elderly brother and sister-in-law on their quest of devotion.

This is the seventh consecutive year Phulchand Kaygude from Bakuli village is walking in the wari, but not alone. The Kaygude trio is an unusual sight for warkaris, too, and stopped ever so often for a ‘darshan’.

The senior citizen said, “My parents were wari regulars, but as they grew old, it became difficult to walk the distance. To fulfil their wish, I began pulling them along the route, seated comfortably in this cart. After they passed away, I took my elder sister for the pilgrimage — this year, I am carrying my elder brother and sister-in-law.”

While Kaygude walks with Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi procession, he also ensures a visit to the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi. Starting his journey from Dehu, he visited Alandi the next day and has decided to join the Sant Tukaram procession from Hadapsar. He also carries two sheep in the cart for ‘ringan’ — a wari tradition in which horses and sheep circle the Palkhi.

The occupants of his small carriage, Tukaram and Lilabai, are happy to be warkaris at 75 and 70, respectively. Lilabai shared, “My husband can barely see now. Walking in the wari became difficult. But, we did not want to break tradition. When my brother-in-law offered to take us along, we couldn’t resist. This means a lot to us.”