The palkhi procession of Sant Shreshtha Shri Dnyaneshwar Mauli entered Satara district on Wednesday after the traditional holy bath in the Nira river, reaching Padegaon village on the eighth day of its journey from Alandi. Lakhs of warkaris, immersed in chants of Lord Vitthal, Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram, have so far covered around 90km on their way to Pandharpur.
The palkhi was welcomed by ministers and senior district officials as it crossed into Satara, where it will travel 67km over the next four days. On Thursday, the traditional Ubha Ringan Sohala will be held at Chandobacha Limb.
At Lonand, volunteers provided foot massages and medical check-ups for pilgrims. The warkaris continued their march with devotion, following the centuries-old pilgrim route to Pandharpur.
Preparations are in full swing in the temple town ahead of Ashadi Ekadashi. The Vitthal-Rukmini temple administration has decided to keep the temple open for 24-hour darshan from Thursday till Aug 3. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his wife Amruta are scheduled to perform the main Ashadi Ekadashi rituals on July 25.
NDRF rescues warkari
A 42-year-old warkari, identified as Ganesh Bhise, fell from a bridge into the Nira river on Wednesday morning. An NDRF team rescued him, provided immediate assistance and handed him over to the medical team deployed with the procession.
FDA crackdown
The Food and Drug Administration inspected 217 food establishments in Pandharpur and shut three eateries for serving poor-quality food in unhygienic conditions. Officials collected around 170 food samples for testing and have placed special focus on outlets selling milk-based products.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolhapur/sant-dnyaneshwars-palkhi-enters-satara-after-holy-bath-in-nira/articleshow/132421102.cms