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WARKARI COMMUNITY’S PALKHI FESTIVAL

14th June, 2023

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Context

  • Delegates, attending a three days meet - G20 Digital Economy Working Group Conference, in Pune, had an opportunity to get a first-hand glimpse of Warkari community’s palkhi from Pune Municipal Corporation’s special pavilion.
  • The 800-year-old palkhi of Sant Tukaram is associated with Warkari community.

Other Details

  • This special pavilion is located near Sant Tukaram Maharaj Paduka Mandir.
  • Apart from Guardian Minister Chandrakantada Patil, Many officials such as Commissioner of Police, Collector, Municipal Additional Commissioner were present.
  • As a welcome gesture, delegates were adorned tulsimala (a basil beads string); warkari uparane (traditional attire), and received tika on their forehead at the start of ceremony.
  • The excitement of delegates was visible in their participation in the fugadi dance and in clicking pictures of carrying tulsi plants on their heads.

Other information

  • In june 2022, a shila (rock) temple at the Sant Tukaram Maharaj mandir was inaugurated by Indian PM Narendra Modi.
  • The rock is dedicated to the 17th-century saint Tukaram in Dehu, near Pune.

Warkari community

  • It is a community or sect in the state of Maharashtra which is associated with the bhakti spiritual tradition of Hinduism since the thirteenth-century CE.
  • This sect recognizes as many as fifty poet-saints. Some of the sants associated with this community are Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Chokhamela, Eknath, and Tukaram.
  • They worship the deity of Pandharpur, knows as Bhagwan Vitthal or Vithoba. He is regarded as a form of god Vishnu.
  • They wear Tulsi-mala, a string/rosary made of the sacred Tulsi beads.
  • Their annual pilgrimage is called wari on the auspicious occasion of Ashadi Ekadashi.
  • On this day of pilgrimage, 11th day of Ashadha (as per Hindu lunar calendar), the people belonging to this sect gather in Pandharpur.
  • People in organized groups, called Dindis, observe many celebrations like fugadi dance, collective singing, dancing, chanting.
  • Palkhi festival is also celebrated.
  • This community follows duty based life style which emphasise on moral behaviour. Hence it involves in activities and values like -
    • Strict avoidance of consumption of substances alcohol and tobacco.
    • Eating a sattvic diet – without onion and garlic.
    • Fasting twice a month on Ekadashi day (11th day according to lunar calender).
    • Practicing celibacy during student life.
    • Preaching equality and humanity for all.
    • Regular practice of bhajan and kirtan.
    • Promoting the values of peaceful coexistence, compassion, nonviolence and love.

Palkhi

  • It is a 1000-year-old Maharashtrian tradition of warkari panth.
  • It is a 22 days festival which falls in June.
  • They carry Tulsi saplings and paduka (sandals) of saints Tukaram and Dnyaneshwar in a Palkhi (palanquins) from their places of Samadhi (Enlightenment or "spiritual birth") to Pandharpur.
  • The Padukas are considered as the symbolic footwear of Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj.
  • Women Warkaris carry 'tulsi' or drinking water in pots on their heads.

Sant Tukaram

  • He is also known as Tuka, Tukobaraya, Tukoba in Maharashtra,
  • He was a 17th-century Marathi Poet -Saint of Bhakti tradition who was born in a village names Dehu.
  • A devoted of Vitthal, he wrote Abhanga poetry in Marathi and emphasised on devotional congregations and kirtans.
  • He raised his voice against caste and gender discrimination and preached the values of egalitarianism.
  • His teachings were based on philosophy of Vedanta.

Wari, Warkari and Dindi

· Wari - In Marathi this term means pilgrimage.

· Warkaris – People who undertake the pilgrimages are called Warkaris.

· Dindis – These are organized group of people belonging to Warkari sect who has fixed schedule to follow in Palkhi during pilgrimage.

Must read Article:

https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/sant-kabir

https://www.iasgyan.in/blogs/some-aspects-of-bhakti-movement

https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/sant-tukaram

PRACTICE QUESTION

The Palkhi festival of India is a celebration of the values of egalitarian society and devotion to the god. Justify in the light of Bhakti Tradition of Medieval India. (250 words)

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/g20-delegates-get-a-view-from-pavilion-8659663/