Pandharpur - Lord Vitthal Rukhmi

We had a memorable trip to Pandharpur. Thought will share about our trip with all of u.Let me briefly say few things before going to our Pandarpur trip..

We and our friend's family(Radhika ad Swaminathan) who stays in 4th floor of our block are pretty close. They have one daughter who is 8 yrs old(Deepti). Deepti and Sughosh are good friends. Almost daily they play together. We knew each other from the time we shifted to this house in Feb 2009 but we became close after Mahathi's birth. Initially when appa or my mother in law were not with us and i had to go to Sughosh's school to pick him up in the afternoons, i used to leave Mahathi with Radhika and go. This way, we became pretty close. This is a picture taken recently in our house
They are devotees of "Sri Anna". Every year for Gokulashtami, they go to Paranur(near Vizhupuram) where Sri Anna lives. Gokulashtami is celebrated there in a grand manner for a week. Sri Anna has also blessed them by his visit couple of times to their house here in Pune. Sri Anna's devotees from Mumbai attend one day of the Aashada Ekadasi Pilgrimage(which comes in the month June-July, where lacs of devotees walk from Aalandi near Pune to Pandharpur to reach Pandharpur by the Ekadasi day) and on their return back, they come to Pune, do a bhajanai in Radhika's house every year. We got the chance of attending that last year(July 2010). Bhajanai was too good and it was mostly Abhang Bhajanai. Sri Anna's daughter Subadra came to Pune after marriage last year. She wanted to teach the slogams composed by Anna to small kids. So, Radhika ad myself started taking Deepti and Sughosh to her house for the class in the weekends. Manni was here with her daughter for 2 months and during Navrathri, i invited Manni and Subadra to our house for manjal kungumam. They also came without hesitating. Mahathi also used to enjoy her time when we go to Subadra's house for slogam class.

Well, I wanted to go to Pandarpur once(Magesh has been there couple of times) and we asked Radhika if they could also join us(Pandarpur is their kuladeivam and they visit the temple twice a year definitely) so that we will have known people who can guide us there and it will be good to go together. We spoke to them last month asking if we can plan sometime. Then only they told us that they go to Pandarpur every year for Maha Shivarathri. Anna will also come and many devotees from Chennai, Bangalore, Pune and mainly from Mumbai will also come there and spend 2 days there. There are 2 dharmasthalas near the temple where they will book the rooms well in advance. Radhika asked us if we can join them during this time. Told them ok and we started planning.

Now to brief up about Pandharpur for those who are not aware.. It is a prominent pilgrimage city on the Bhima river(also known as ChandraBhaga) in Maharashtra. Pandharpur hosts the renowned Vitthal Rukhmini temple. The name Vitthal is composed of 2 sanskrit-marathi words.. 'Vit' means brick and 'thala' means standing. Thus, Vitthala means, one standing on a brick. The Varkari poet-saint Tukaram had a different meaning for the same.. Vitthala composed of 2 words 'Vittha' means ignorance and 'la' means one who accepts. Thus meaning, one who accepts innocent people who are devoid of knowledge. This is a great place to visit for devotees all over India.

Every year Varkari walk hundreds of miles to the holy town of Pandharpur, gathering there on ekadashi (the 11th day) of the Hindu lunar calendar month of Aashaadha (which falls sometime in July). Varkaris making the pilgrimage to Pandharpur carry the palkhis (palanquins) of the sants from their places of samadhi. Varkaris journey start from Alandi and ends in Pandharpur. The day the Varkaris walk through Pune, all schools ad most of the offices are declared holiday.

This year, Maha Shivratri fell on March 2nd. Radhika and family planned to leave on 1st evening itself and since Magesh had some calls on 1st evening, we decided to leave on 2nd early morning(both appa and son had holiday on 2nd) and have darshan of Vittal and attend the Bajanai till 3rd morning and get back to Pune. But Sughosh had a photo session in his school on 3rd and attendance was compulsory. So, we changed our plan and we also decided to leave along with Radhika and family on 1st evening itself. They came in their car and we left in our car by 4 30 PM. There were 2 routes to Pandarpur and Deepti's father said we will take the route via Shirwal as the other one(via Satara) is ard 30-40 kms extra. He said he has travelled by Shirwal route and not by the other one. So, went by that route itself. Kids slept then and there. Mahathi was little restless as she wasnt able to play or get down as she wanted and was bored sitting either in my lap or in the seat all the time. After ard 60-70 kms, the roads for a stretch of ard 50-60 kms were too bad. But good that we crossed that stretch when there was day light. After that, roads were good. Kids started sleeping again by ard 8 and there was another one and half hours drive. The drive was so good. Some of the roads reminded me of the roads between Trichy and Turaiyur. The cd player was singing Vittal Das Bhajans. We didnt take any breaks and reached Pandarpur by 9 30 PM. Deepti's father took a break in between and they reached by ard 10 15 or so. Anyway, we took a room in a lodge near to Maaheshwari(Thats the dharmasthala's name where the Mumbai group had booked the rooms for them and thats the place where the Bhajanais were arranged. Sri Anna also stayed there only.)

Radhika's and our rooms were next to each other in the same lodge. Settled in the room, had dinner in a nearby homemade mess. Chapathi, subji, daal and rice. Back to room and slept by 11 30.

Got up by 5 30, i first got ready and then Magesh and Sughosh got ready and Sughosh went to Radhika's room and started playing with Deepti. Meanwhile, dressed up Mahathi too and when i came out, i could see ChandraBhaga river from the corridor. Sughosh and Mahathi were so happy on seeing the water there and Sughosh wanted to go there but due to lack of time, we couldnt go near the river.

Anyway, we all left by 7 15 to Maaheshwari. They arrange everything there. Right from morning coffee till dinner. Had coffee and were waiting for Anna to come down from his room. People from all places slowly started coming in the morning by bus and car. Kids were happy running every where and playing. Sughosh, Mahathi and Deepti had a fun time.

Anna came from his room by 8 and started proceeding for temple for darshan and we(there were may of us) also went behind him. Stood in the queue and "jai jai vittala.. PanduRanga, Jai hari vittala.. Panduranga" was being told by all of us in chorus. There is a 5 storey buildig adjacent to the main gopuram and generally the crowd will be so much that we will have to wait for atleast 3-4 hrs. Luckily, the crowd wasnt much and in half an hours time, we finished the darshan of Lord Vitthal. Then went to Rukmini sannidhi and came out of the temple by 9 15. Had a very good darisanam. Back to Maaheshwari and had breakfast(Pongal and sambar).

Bhajanai started by 9 30 and went on till 1. Meanwhile, Anna was sitting in one place and we got the blessings from him too.

There was a huge crowd with many devotees. Magesh was telling me later that the bhajanai was similar to the one that happens in Turaiyur and that he knew many songs. In the afternoon, before lunch, Radhika and myself went for a mini shopping in the mada veedhis. Got some bangles and some toys for sughosh and mahathi and also got Lord Vitthal and Rukhmini photo and back to Maaheshwari for lunch. Then it was a relaxed afternoon. People took rest for sometime. People went to temple in batches. People were sitting in groups and talking.

Anna's pravachanam was to start by ard 4.. so, Radhika and myself took kids to the room to take rest for sometime and refresh ourselves and come back by 4. There were many horse carts and kids wanted to go in that. So, for going to our room(which is just 5 min walkable distance) we went in horse cart asking him to take us for a round for some distance and then leave in our room. Kids enjoyed the ride in the horsecart.

While in room, Magesh called saying Anna is going towards the temple and many others are following him. There was one group of devotees from Udipi who were singing bhajans facing Anna, taking him towards the temple. And in temple they performed bhajanai for half an hour.I missed that.
Anyway, by the time Magesh was back.. it was 4 45 and we had to leave by atleast 5 or 5 30 so that we can reach Pune by 10 30 to avoid night drive for a longer period. Got ready, had coffee and left by 5 30 and reached Pune by night. We took the Satara route to see how was that road. Roads were too good. Smooth stretch. Infact for the first one and half hours drive, the scenery was excellent. We really enjoyed our drive.

There ends our memorable trip to Pandharpur. Anyone who plans a trip to Pune, please do plan to go to Pandharpur too.