Dnyaneshwar & Sant Tukaram Palkhis to enter city tomorrow

Tukaram Palkhi will halt at Sant Tukaramnagar in Pimpri today

Chanting Gyanaba-Tukaram and waving saffron flags, lakhs of warkaris on Monday left the temple town of Alandi for Pandharpur along with Dnyaneshwar Palkhi (palanquin) to meet their beloved God.

"The proceedings began with a puja of Sant Dnyaneshwar performed by the head of Alandi Devsthan Trust, followed by a Maha Aarti. Forty-seven dindis entered the temple about 4 pm after which Maha Aarti started.

"Around 6 pm, the procession left Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Devasthan and set out for Gandhi wada, dancing and performing phugadi," said Sudhir Pimpale, head of the Palkhi Festival.

When the procession started moving towards Gandhi wada, a rhythmic sound of chants and string instruments filled the air with hundreds of devotees singing and waving saffron flags.

At 8 pm, the palkhi reached Gandhiwada where the warkaris held the traditional evening kirtan.

Sant Tukaram Palkhi entered the twin town of Pimpri-Chinchwad around 4 pm. Early morning, it left Inamdar wada in Dehu and via Dehu Road, Mumbai-Pune Highway, Nigdi octroi post and Akurdi to reach Pimpri.

On Tuesday, Tukaram Palkhi will halt at Sant Tukaramnagar in Pimpri and will reach the city limits at Mariaai gate on Pune-Mumbai Highway in the afternoon of June 13. The Sant Dnyaneshwar Palkhi will also reach Mariaai gate the same day.

From here, both the Palkhis would take a common route via engineering college chowk, Sancheti Chowk, Simla office Chowk, Dnyaneshwar Paduka Chowk to reach Nana Peth.

Though majority of the devotees came from rural areas, many Puneites also got a taste of devotion.

Subhash Gangarde, 56, of Ahmednagar said, "I have come along with my family and my grandchildren to participate in the procession. I want my grandchildren to know about our culture."

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