Youth for Palkhi

The warkaris are usually poor farmers and their families,though they are often joined by urban and semi-urban populations for shorter distances. This year the waris are set to halt in the city for a day and commence towards Pandharpur on Wednesday morning.

Unable to join the processions themselves,Raghavendra Mankar and his group of friends,are getting ready to serve the warkaris with food. They have been doing it for five years now. “We couldn’t join the waris due to work,but wanted to serve the ceremony in some way,” says Mankar,who has a strong group of about 200 benefactors,most of whom are students,professionals and businessmen. The group contributes towards the funds for food.

“For the past four years we have been giving out raw materials such as rice,pulses and sabudana for those who fast since most waris carry cooking equipment with them,” says Mankar,adding,“Stocking up raw food items also help them during their journey beyond Pune.” This time though,the group plans on serving cooked meals apart from raw food items. “A thali replete with a curry,a dry vegetables dish,rice,pulses,chapatis and sweets will be given out to the pilgrims during their halt in Pune,” informs Mankar. The group also provides the pilgrims with toiletries,balms and plastic sheets to keep themselves dry and sleep on.

Working on the same line,Dhruv Ruparel and Chetan Bhalekar,along with their friends have taken up the responsibility of providing the pilgrims with drinking water. “We provide them with free packaged water because drinking untreated water in this weather is unsafe and can cause diseases among the travelling pilgrims,” says Ruparel.

Packaged water also provides the pilgrims with reusable bottles that come handy during the remaining journey. Sharing their course of action,Ruparel says they shell out money from their own pockets and buy cartons of packaged drinking water,which they distribute on Lakshmi Road. “We distributed 5,000 bottles last year and are expecting to distribute much more this time,” says Ruparel.

Ruparel and Bhalekar also believe that the urban population should come together and help these pilgrims in whichever way possible. “Getting involved with the palkhi processions in some way will keep a tradition alive and boost the spirit of camaraderie,” says Bhalekar.