Mumbai, July 19: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday left right here for Pandharpur in Solapur district by street to take part in the annual ”maha puja” of Lord Vitthal on the event of ”Ashadhi Ekadashi” on Tuesday.
Thackeray himself drove his non-public car as he left for the temple city, round 360km from Mumbai, accompanied by his spouse Rashmi amid heavy rains in the metropolis and neighbouring areas. The chief minister”s convoy is predicted to attain Pandharpur, which homes a well-known temple devoted to Lord Vitthal and Goddess Rukmini, in the night time.
The official ”maha puja” in the temple will happen at 2 am on Tuesday. It has been a long-standing custom in Maharashtra for the CM and his partner to attend the early morning prayers on the temple on Ashadi Ekadashi. Ekadashi marks the end result of a pilgrimage referred to as referred to as ”wari” that devotees undertake from throughout the state on foot to attain the temple city. Hyderabad Devotee Offers Rs 1 Crore Sword Weighing About 5 kg to Lord Balaji in Tirumala Hills.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maharashtra authorities has not allowed the pilgrimage on foot for the final years. The ”Pandharpur wari”, the place devotees from all around the state stroll down to the city, yearly has been cancelled for the second time in a row due to the pandemic.
The palkhis (palanquins) carrying ”padukas” (footwears) of saint-poets Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram left for Pandharpur in flower-decked buses from Alandi and Dehu, respectively, in Pune district earlier in the day. This is the second 12 months that the palkhis are travelling in buses as a substitute of the normal 250km procession.
The wari is the annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur carrying ”padukas” (footwears) of the 2 saints from their shrines. Every 12 months a warkari couple is chosen to carry out the official puja with the chief minister. Ashadi Ekadashi is one of an important Hindu festivals.
