Maharashtra: Palkhis leave by bus for Pandharpur today

PUNE: The palkhis of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram will leave for Pandharpur by bus from Alandi and Dehugaon, respectively, on Monday morning ahead of the auspicious Aashadi Ekadashi that falls on Tuesday.
This will be for the second year in succession that the palkhis will travel to Pandharpur in buses instead of the traditional 250km procession that usually witnesses thousands of devotees walking all their way to the temple town in Solapur district. The state did not allow the procession due to the Covid situation.
The revered ‘padukas’ (footwear) of both sants which were kept at Devulwada at Alandi and Dehugaon, will be taken in four separate buses. The state government has permitted at least 40 ‘warkaris’ to accompany each palkhi.
The ‘padukas’ will reach Wakhari village, about eight km from Pandharpur, by Monday afternoon. From there, they will be taken by foot to Pandharpur as per tradition. On the day of the Ekadashi, the padukas will be taken to Lord Vitthal-Rukmini temple.
Meanwhile, Ganpat Jadhav, in-charge of the rural hospital in Alandi, said, “All participants have been tested for Covid at private hospitals and they are negative.”
Kishor Yadav, in-charge of primary health centre of Dehugaon, said, “We tested 40 warkaris who will accompany the palkhi in the last two days. Their reports are Covid negative. We have submitted their reports to the district administration and Sant Tukaram Maharaj temple trust.”
Both the temple trusts have decorated the buses which will travel under police protection.
The district administration has already issued directives to the trustees not to halt along the route. Also, it has barred assembly of five or more people in the villages along the route of palkhis to avoid possible crowding in view of Covid restrictions.