PUNE: Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Friday confirmed that the annual palkhi procession will not take place due to Covid-19 restrictions this year.
However, 20 buses will be provided for a limited number of warkaris and the padukas of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram to travel to Pandharpur.
This is the second consecutive year that the state government has not allowed wari procession due to the pandemic.
Ajit Pawar said that the decision to restrict participation of devotees in the wari was taken unanimously at the state cabinet meeting.
He said, “Permission is being granted for 10 palkhis to travel to Pandharpur in buses.
The list of these palkhis has been finalized.
The palkhis are from various parts of the state, including the palkhis of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram.
Also, a symbolic walk between Wakhri and Pandharpur will take place, involving a restricted number of warkaris.
About 100 warkaris each at Alandi and Dehu will be allowed to remain present as the palkhis proceed to Pandharpur.” The annual palkhi procession sees participation by lakhs of devotees.
It was scheduled to begin in the first week of July.
Pawar appealed to everyone to cooperate and said that the decision was taken considering the pandemic.
The health of citizens is a priority, he stated.
Pawar added that a committee has been appointed to review the palkhi procession proposal and it had submitted a report to the government.
Nitin More, president of Sant Tukaram Maharaj Temple Trust, Dehu, was disappointed with the decision.
“It will hurt the sentiments of warkaris.
We had told deputy chief minister Pawar in the last meeting that the wari is a century-old tradition and it should not break in the second consecutive year.
The palkhi procession could be conducted with a limited number of warkaris, while following Covid-19 norms.
We had also told Pawar that the palkhis will halt in open areas instead of villages or towns during the journey.
The government should have paid heed to our demand,” More added.
Vikas Dhage Patil, trustee of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Temple Trust, Alandi, said, “We were expecting to get permission for the wari on foot as the Covid situation and awareness is better than last year.”