A deer can understand importance of ‘chaitanya’ in Pandharpur ‘wari’; but why don’t the pro (re)gressive factions don’t understand it ?
‘A devotee leaves home and starts his journey with intense yearning for having ‘darshan’ of Bhagavan Pandurang on the occasion of ‘Ashadhi Ekadashi’. Pandurang is with him during the ‘wari’. Therefore, despite the marathon walk and difficulties faced during such ‘wari’, a devotee gets happiness as a kind of ‘sadhana’ happens through him. Owing to such ‘sadhana’, a devotee gets real ‘darshan’ of Pandurang. This happiness is not experienced by those who pay money for Pandurang’s ‘darshan’ instead of going in ‘wari’. They, therefore, do not understand the joy of going with ‘wari’. Walking to Pandharpur with ‘wari’ is quite old tradition. A reference is found about Vitthalpant, the father of great Saint Dnyaneshwar, that he used to go to Pandharpur with ‘wari’. This ‘wari’ is going on with the inner strength of ‘Dnyaneshwar mauli’ and other Saints and Seers. This year, a deer went with the ‘wari’ along with Saint Sri Gajanan Maharaj’s ‘palakhi’ from Shegaon to Pandharpur. It is worth mentioning here that the deer used to sit even for ‘keertan’ held at night during the ‘wari’. It shows that even animals realize the importance of ‘chaitanya’ generated in ‘wari’. It is however, surprising that the present day pro (re)gressive factions do not understand the same.’
-P.P. Parashram Pande Maharaj, Sanatan Ashram, Devad, Panvel (2.7.2017)
