Warkari Sect: ACultural Splendor of Maharashtra
Dr.Swarali Chandrakant Kulkarni, ICSSR Project Director, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Department of NISS, Pune [email protected] Mob No-9921531697
Introduction half moon in this place, therefore it is Religion is the heart of the also known as river Pandharpurwarkari sect. Pandharpur Chandrabhaga.3Srikrishna went to is the maternal home of the saints, Pandharpur to look for his angry wife one sees a beautiful view of the coor- Rukmini or he stood on a brick for his dination in Pandharpur, which is a devotee Pundlik, from that period place of devotion for Krishna. All onwards the importance of saints have called Pandharpur as Pandharpur is in the minds of the peo- Vainkunth. Saint Namdev had said in ple. Many people have tried to estab- his abhangas that 'when the animate lish the ancientness of Pandharpur. and inanimate world did not exist, Pandharpur existed'. From this it is Bhagwat or Warkari sect quite clear that Pandharpur is existing The Warkari sect is the largest devo- since time eternal.1 Pandharpur had tional sect in India.4Number of peo- different names like Pandhari, ple belonging to this sect could be Pandurangpur, Pandaripur, Fagatipur, millions. This sect is spread in various Paundarik, KshetrePandurange, other parts of the country. Vitthal of Pandurangpalli in various periods of Pandharpur is their beloved Deity. time.2Pandharpur is situated on the The religion that is told by God, is the river Bhima. This river turns like a Bhagavat religion and the one who
10 does the wari to Pandharpur is known charity and other good work and lead aWarkari and their sect is called a a good life full of virtue is the essence Warkarisampradaya /sect.5This has of this sect. The Mantra has no con- been explained by saint Tukaram in straints of place, time, caste, clan and his abhangas. On Ashadhi, Kartiki, money. A garland of holy Basil Maghi and Chaitriekadashi the around the neck, Bukka and Warkaris come to Pandharpur. These Gopichandantilak on the forehead and four are the important waris for which a flag on the shoulder are the signs of people come to Pandharpur for the warkaris. Vitthal likes the garland Darshan of Vitthal. Similarly quite a of holy Basil. This is to be taken from few people come to Pandharpur every a senior warkari. This ritual is very 15 days or every month. Saint simple. While giving the garland the Dnyaneshwar is the founder of Guru gives his disciple this oath: 1. Bhagwat religion. People used to Speak truth. 2. All other women are come to Pandharpur for wari even like mothers. 3. Do Pandharpurwari. before DnyaneshwarMaharaj. But it 4. Ekadashi fast. 5. Simple vegetarian was not of collective nature. People diet. 6. Always reciting the Mantra. 7. did not come there in masses, like Reading of Haripath and they do day. Dnyaneshwar opened the Dnyaneshwari. 8. All the sorrows and doors of devotion to all the people happiness in life, everyday duties belonging to different casts and com- should be done properly and sincerely munity and saint Tukaram put a dome by changing the name of Vitthal all on top of it. the time. Dnyaneshwari, Eknathi Bhagwat and Abhangagatha of Features of Warkari sect Tukaram are the religious books of Warkari sect has quite a few features. this sect. By following the conduct, proper thinking and principles one can over- Tradition of saints come the time. Doing a wari regularly The tradition of Pandurang is quite by wearing a garland of holy basil is large. Right from shriDnyaneshwar- one of the features of this sect. Rama Namdev to Tukoba-Niloba. A reputa- Krishna Hari is the mantra of this tion of promoting the warkari sect sect. Rama means who is happy in his goes to Pundalik. 1. A period from heart, Krishna means the one who Pundalik to Dnyaneshwar 2. A Period attracts and Hari means the one who from Dnyandev to Namdev 3. A becomes one with God, i. e. with Period from Bhanudas to Eknath 4. A Vitthal. In this sect it is important to period of Tukaram and 5. A period purify one self. Rituals and other con- after Tukaram. This is the tradition of fusing ideas are not there. While saints. To this tradition also belong doing mundane affairs of daily life do the women saints like Muktabai,
11 Janabai, Nirmala, Kanhopatra etc. Pandharpur is the home of all the saints. When a woman comes to her A palanquin ceremony maternal home, she feels very com- In the warkari sect there are two fortable and homely. In the same way waris, one is Pandharpurwari and the when a person is in the confinement second one is Alandiwari. The most of worldly duties, he is in the house important Pandharpurwari is the one of his in-laws. He is not very comfort- from the month of Ashadhi. e Ashadhi able there. But when he comes to Ekadashi. The palanquins of the Pandharpur he feels very comfortable, Saints Dnyanadev come from Alandi as if he is in his own home. The deity and Tukaram from Dehu and of other of the warkari sect is Vitthal, who is saints come . People from all over the deity of the whole universe. All Maharashtra come together for palan- the relations like mother, father, quin. They do Bhajan, Kirtan, and brother, sister are concentrated all recitation by playing drum on their together in Vitthal. Therefore all the way to Pandharpur. warkaris feel that it is their maternal "DnyanobaMauliTukaram" is the home.7 Mantra of Warkarisampradaya. Similarly the main day of the Contribution of the warkari sect Alandiwari is in the month of Kartik, 1. Warkari sect is doing an important i. e Kartiki Ekadashi. For this work of maintaining the tradition of Alandiwari the palanquins of Maharashtra Namdev, Pundalik and other saints 2. It is creating good quality students come from Pandharpur. Here also the from the Mathas in Pandharpur. By warkaris do Bhajan, Kirtan, and this a flag of Bhagwat religion is recitation by playing the drum. passed on from one generation to Warkari sect has many public another. Resorts/Fud and Hermitages. These 3. Warkari sect has done an important are mainly the chiefs of the warkaris work of nurturing the principle of and their desciple's organized commu- Bhagwat religion, i. e chanting the nity. In the warkari sect the tradition name of Vitthal while doing everyday of teacher and student is very impor- work and do your parmartha. tant. After doing the wari the teachers 4. In the warkari sect saints come and students have to take part in the from all castes and class and they Bhajan, Kirtan and Namasankirtan. have given the message of equality. All saints have their public 5. All the warkaris bow down to each Resorts/Fud and Hermitages. other, feed the Prasad to each other. Here there is no discrimination of Home of the Bhagawat sect: rich, poor, man, woman, high caste, Pandharpur low caste etc. Because of this the tra-
12 dition of castes is broken down and force; can be achieved by the teach- the process of social convergence is ings of the saints;Warkari does not evolved. This is an important contri- turn towards western culture. He bution of the warkari sect to the soci- remains firm where he is; with the ety. warkari sect.The Indian is preserve by 6. It has given the right of devotion to the deeds of WarakariSect . all. Through discourses, Abhang, Maharashtrian culture posses a good Kirtan the saints have created social place in the Indian culture. awakening among the people. They Pandharpur is the soul heart of the have done the great work of maintain- Mahrashtra. Lord Vitthal is the only ing the Indian culture in unfavorable ideal worship of these people and conditions and are still doing it. Pandharpur is their motherland . We 7. By participating in the palanquin have Palakhi Ceremony and along all the women saints came out of their with this equally important is the wari traditional household work and have of the months Ashadhi, Maghi, proclaimed the freedom of women. Kartiki, Chaitri. The footed wari from One can see the seed of women's Alandi to Pandharpur was introduced emancipation in this. by Saint Dyaneshwar. Abhang ,bhajan 8. As there is lot of influence of west- ,kirtan,pravachan perform the work of ern culture on the society today and it awareness of social reform and the is increasing day by day. In such situ- warkari saints united the people. Due ation there is a great need of the to this warkari saints the left out their thoughts of these saints. orthodox cultural concept(frame) and 9. The struggle of women saints, the started unity. story of their life etc. can be guiding The women left their and inspirational to the women of usual routine work and joined the modern times. palakhi .The seed of women freedom 10. The work done by warkari sect is were sowed here. Fredom means not quite important for creating national unlimitations but here Indian women integrity. proved how to preserve the culture According the Bhagwatacharya Mr. V. with certain restrictions. People were N. Utpat, 'Due to devotion of influenced by westernization , but Bhagawat religion, good conduct, once a person came into contact with staying among the saints, solid philos- warakari saints then he they are total- ophy of good standard and good tradi- ly away from infatuation. tion one does not fall prey to tempta- tions. Besides ones the garland of References: holy tulsi is around ones neck, he 1.Dr Gopal Benare, Rana Pandharicha starts behaving virtuously.'9The things ,Shree Sant Wangmay SevaPrakashan which cannot be achieved with legal ,Pandharpur,1993, page no 13
13 2.Dr.Arun Wadekar, Shree PandharpurMahatmya,SharadaSahitya Prakashan , Pune ,1994,Page No 92 3.Solapur District Gazzetter 1884, P.T. Gaud , Mumbai State ,Page 415 4.Pandit Mahadev Shastri Joshi,Bhara tDarshan,Maharashtra , 1992, Page no 97 5.Kitta ,Page no. 98 6.Bhartiya SanskrutiKosh Khand 8 ,NeelimaTatke, Maharashtra sahity ani sanskruti Mandal , Mumbai, 1993, Page no 603 7. Interview of P.D.Nikate(Famous for the study of Namdev Literarute) 8. .Bhartiya SanskrutiKosh Khand 8, NeelimaTatke, Maharashtra sahity ani sanskruti Mandal , Mumbai, 1993, Page no. 607 9. Interview of Bhagavatacharya V.N Utpat, Pandharpur 10.GopalDeshmukh, Solapur Jilhyachi Bakhar ,Reyu Prakashan, Pune 1977, Page 68 11.Thavre D.K. SantCharitra mala, Sant Krupa Prakashan , Pune 1983, Page 234 12.Nevurgaokar Sadashiv, PalkhiSohala, Page 27 13. Rana Pandhricha, ShreeSantWangamayUpasak Mandal, Pandharpur ,1972, page 38 14.Shenalikar H.S.,,P.N.Deshpande, Maharashtra SanskrutiGhadan Ani Vikas, Moghe Prakashan Pune , 1975, page 82 ***
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