Panduranga Vithala !!!

Ashadha Ekadasi, also referred to as HariShayani Ekadasi is of very special significance to Vaishnavas, followers of Lord Vishnu.

On this day, a huge procession or yatra called "Waari" is taken out from devotees from near and far which culminates at Pandharpur, in Solapur district in south Maharashtra, situated on the banks of the Chandrabhaga River. Pandharpur is main center of worship of the deity Vitthal, a local form of Vishnu.

Viṭ, means 'brick'; and thal, is from the Sanskrit word, sthala, meaning 'standing'.

According to Sant Tukaram - Vitthala is composed of the words vittha (ignorance) and la (one who accepts), thus meaning 'one who accepts innocent people who are devoid of knowledge'.

Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar, two great Bhakti exponents in Maharashtra reached the abode of Lord Vitthal in Pandharpur on Ashadhi Ekadasi.

They had set out on foot about fifteen days earlier and reached Pandharpur at the same time. Sant Tukaram started from Dehu village near Pune and Sant Dnyaneshwar from Alandi. They walked on foot singing the praise of Lord Vitthal and reached the shrine on this auspicious day for the darshan of the Lord.

In memory of this pilgrimage, called Wari, which has been held since 14th century, devotees undertake Dindi Yatra or Pandharpur Yatra by foot. These devotees are known Varkaris and they go in a procession carrying the 'palki' of Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar.

Narayan Maharaj, son of Tukaram was the first to carry "padukas" in a palkhi in 1685 which later became a tradition.