Pune: The annual PALKHI procession of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Uaram will not make a stopover or stop anywhere along the road to Pandharpur considering the restrictions of Covid in Pune and Solapur Regency.
Pune District Administration has issued guidelines.
“Buses carrying Palkhi and Warkaris will travel under police protection.
Because many people and worshipers are expected to appear along the route, we must take this step to prevent it,” said Collector District Rajesh Deshmukh.
For the second year in a row, the state government did not allow annual pilgrimage by walking in walking Warkaris to take a 250km pilgrimage to carry the Padukas (footwear) from Sant Dnyaneshwar from DeHu and Alandi, to reach the city of Pandharpur Temple about ‘Aashadhi Ekadashi ‘.
The government only allows 40 warners who will travel by bus with each PALKHI procession.
The Padukas will reach Pandharpur at Ashadhi Ekadashi which falls on July 20.
Also, every assembly of five or more is not permitted in the villages along the route on July 19.
Sanjay is more, the trustee of the Maharaj Sant Tamaram Temple Power, said, “We will conduct a RT-PCR test from all 40 participants two days earlier.
They will be stored in isolation in Dehu Village.” Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Temple Trust will also adopt a strategy same.
Pilgrims named Warkaris walk along with trains carrying padukas and usually stops to rest along the way.
At Pune, both Palkhis and Warkaris are waiting a day at different temples before starting the next day.
Palkhis and their respective followers separated after crossing Hadadad and continuing different routes before meeting outside Pandharpur again.
There is no termination for Palkhis along the route to Pandharpur
