sign in sign up
<<
Home , Janabai, Kanhopatra, Warkari

ISSN No,2394-5990 311t;:zoHa ~. m. UldlttleI dIU'H(310011),<1JU1SI ~cft fu~lqicP ' "

. qe:f : ~~ ,{fc:etl-< ~o9l9 ' . 3fq; : ~

~. m. Uldlftler d>1~I01l l er alun (310011) ~: 90 {f~{,/'< 9~~~ ~: ~ 1l ~09l9 ------.­ . ". " ..•. ,Ut(\ L " '. • '" ....1. • • f\,... ,...... • ,". ,. , ,.~, ~.--... , ., ,'"

~ . 11uaT ~ ffJilIQ fiq~ ~ sT.\i1'mt~ qyuft -~.~~

~. fqUSltfil~ft fcI~ ~ sf. \i1"~I~ qyufr ~ ~ -S3ft.~~ • : A Cultural Splendor

of ~1aharashtra

- if. fq{lcfl Bl. ~flCf)uff

~. ~ ~ ~IJh,Cf ~ • - 'SIT. tft. qlt:fl8 ~ ~

G.a'iiffithlfl M1tfi'i I;

1$. 3i1~Cflro ~iffiCf)ltl 44mC11 ~n:ft~l$ • - -it. ~ Cf)1~'{lq JII~Cf)ql:S

(, . "tiwm&nn - if. ~ 31f.t-;r ~Ia~ Warkari Sect: A Cultural Splendor of

- if. tcI(l<"fi :ci~Cf)i(i CfiHCf)Un '" . ~.

Introduction: • is the heart ofthe warkari sect. Pandharpur is the maternal home of the saints~ one sees a beautiful view of the coordination in Pandharpur, which is a place ofdevotion for . All saints have called Pandharpur as Vainkunth. Saint Namdcv had said in his abhangas that 'when the animate and inanimate world did

The Indian is preserve by the deeds of\Varakari Sect. Maharashtrian culture posses a good place in the Indian culture. Pandharpur is the heart of the Maharashtra. Lord Vitthal is the only ideal of these peopJe and Pandharpur is their motherland. \Ve have Palakhi Ceremony • and along with this equally important is the wari of the months Ashadhi, \laghi, Kartiki~ Chaitri. The footed ,,"ari from to Pandharpurwas introduced by Saint Dyaneshwar. , , , Pravachan perform the work ofawareness of social reform and the warkari saints united the people. Due to this warkari saints the Jeft out their orthodox cultural concept (frame) and stalted unity. The women Jeft their usual routine work and joined the palakhi. The seed ofwomen freedom were sowed here. Freedom means not unlimitations but here Indian women proved how to prescn'e the culture \-vith certain restrictions. People were influenced by \-vestcrnization, but once a person came into contact with warakari saints then he they are totally away from infatuation. not exist, Pandharpur existed'. From this it is quite clear that Pandharpuf is existing since time eten1al.I Pandharpur had ditTerent names like Pandhari. PandurangpuT, Pandaripllf. Fagatipur, Paundarik, Kshetre Pandurange, Pandurangapalli in various periods oftime.2 Pandharpur is situated on the river Bhinla. This river tums like a half moon in this place. thereforc it is also kno\\·n as river Chandrabhaga. l Srikrishna went to Pandharpur to look for his angry wife Ruklnlni or he stood on a brick for his devotee , from that period onwards the importance ofPandharpur is in the Ininds ofthc people. Many people have tried to establish the ancientness ofPandharpur

Bhag\\"at or '''arkari sect:

The Warkari sect is the Imgest devotional sect in rndia:~ Nunlber of people belonging to this sect could be Inillions. This sect is spread in various other parts ofthe country. Vitthal ofPandharpur is their beloved Deity. The religion that is told by ~ is the Bhagavat religion and the one \vho does the wari to Pandharpur is known a vVarkari and their sect is called a \Varkari /sect. ~ This has been explained by saint in his abhangas. OnAshadhi. KaI1iki. Maghi and Chaitri the COlne to Pandharpur. These four are the important \Varis for which people come to Pandharpllr for Darshan of Vitthal. Similarly quite a few peop le corne to Pandharpur every 15 days or every month. Saint Dnyancshwar is the founder ofBhagwat religion. People used to come to Pandharpur for wari even before Mahamj. But it was not of collective nature. People did not cotne there in masscs, likc they do day. Dnyancshwar opcned the doors ofdevotion to all the people belonging to different casts and community and saint Tukaram put a donle on top of it. Features of\\'arkari sect:

Warkari sect has quite a few features. By following the conduct, proper thinking and principJes one can overconle the time. Doing a wari regularly by wearing a garhmd of holy basil is one ofthe features of this sect. Krishna Han is the mantra oftl1is sect. Rama means who is happy in his heart, Ktislma means the one who attracts and lneans the one who becomes one with God, i.e. with Vitthal. In this sect it is • important to purify one self. and other confusing ideas are not there. While doing mundane affairs of daily life do charity and other good \vork and lead a good life fulJ ofviltuc is the essence ofthis sect. The Mantra has no constraints of place, titnc. caste, clan and money A garland of holy Basil around the neck, Bukka and Gopichandan tiJak on the torehear and a flag on the shoulder are the signs of the warkaris. Vitthallikes the gar1and ofholy Basil.This is to be taken trom a senior warkari. This litua} is very simple. While giving the garJand the gives his disciple this oath: 1. Speak truth, 2All other women are like • mothers. 3. Do Pandharpur \vari, 4. Ekadashi fast, 5. Simple vegetarian diet. 6. Ahvays reciting the Mantra, 7. Reading of Haripath and Dnyaneshwari~ 8.AIl the sorrows and happiness in life, everyday duties should be done properly and sincerely by changing the naIne oNitthal all the time. Dnyneshwari, Eknathi Bhagwat andAbhanga gatha ofTukaram are the religiolls books of this sect. Tradition of Saints :

The tradition of Pandurang is quite large. Righ-t frOln Shri Dnyancshwar- to Tukaram-Niloba. A reputation of promoting the warkari sect goes to Pundalik. I. A period from Pundalik to Dnyaneshwar, 2. APeriod fi·om Dnyandev to Nmndcv: 3. A Period (~l.9) 1Q ..

from Bhanlldas to , 4. A Period ofTukaram and 5. A Period after TukanUll. This is the tradition ofsaints.To this tradition also belong the women saints , , Nirmala. etc. J A palanquin ceremony: In the warkari sect there are two waris, one is Pandharpur wari and the second one isAtandi wari. The most important Pandharpur wari is the one from the month otAshadh i.e. Ashaclhi Ekadashi. The palanquins ofthe Saints Dnyanadev come f'romAlandi and Tukaram limn Dehu and of other saints COllle. People from allover Maharashtra come together for palanquin. They do Bhajan. Kirtan and recitation by playing drum on their way to Pandharpur. "Dnyanoba Mauli Tukaranl" is the Mantra ofWarkari sampradaya. Similarly the main day oftheAlandi wari is in the month ofKar1ik, i.e. Kaltiki Ekadashi. For thisAlandi wari the palanquins ofNamdev, Pundalik and other saints COBle from Pandharpllr. Here also the warkaris do Bhajan, Kirtan and recitation by play'ing the drum. Warkari sect has many public ResortslFud and Hemlitages. These are mainly the chiefs of the warkaris and their desciple's organized comlnLmity. In the warkari sect the tradition of teacher and student is very ilnportant.After doing the wan the teachers and students have to take part in the Bhajan, Kirtan and Namasankil1an. All saints have their public Resorts/Fud and Hennitages. Home of the Bhagawat sect: Pandharpur Pandharpllr is the home ofall the saints. When a woman COlnes to her matemal home, she feels very COlllfortable and homely In the same way when a person is in the confinement ofworldly duties, he is in the house of his in-laws. He is notvery comfol1able there. BlIt when he comes to Pandharpur he feels very COlllfortab1e, as ifhe is in his o\vn home. The deity of the warkari sect is Vi ttha I. who is the deity of the

" (~~) whole wlivcrsc. All the relations like l1l0the~ father, brother, sister arc

concentrated alllOgether'­ in Vttthai. Therefore all the warkaris feel that it is their maternal home?

6. Contribution of the warkaris sect:

1. Warkari sect is doing an important work of maintaining the tradition ofMaharashtra. 2. It is creating good quality students from the Mathas in Pandharpur. By this a flag ofBhagwat religion is passed on from • one generation to another. 3. Warkari sect has done an important work of nurturing the principle ofBhagwat religion, i.e. chanting the nalne oNitthal while doing everyday work and do your pam1artha. 4. Tn the warkari sect saints come from all castes and class and they have given the message of equality. 5. All the workaris bow down to eaeh other, feed the Prasad to each other. Here there is no discrilnination of rich, poor, man, woman, high caste, low caste etc. Because of this the tradition of castes is broken down and the process ofsocial convergence is evolved. This is an importmt contribution of the warkari sect to the society. 6. It has given the right of devotion to all. Through discourses, Abhang, Kiltan the saints have created social awakening among the people. They have done the great work of nlaintaining the Indian culture in unfavorable conditions and are still doing it. 7. By participating in the palanquin all the women saints came out of their traditional household work and have proclainled the freedom of women. One can see the seed of won1en' s emancipation in this. 8. As there is lot of influence ofwestern culture on the society today and it is increasing day by day. In such situation there is a great need of the thoughts ofthese saints. 9. The struggle ofwomen saints, the story oftheir life etc. can hc guiding and inspirational to the women ofmodem times. 10. The work done by warkari sect is quite important for creating national integrity. According the Bhagwatacharya Mr. V.N.Utpa, 'Due to devotion of Bhagawat religion, good conduct, staying an10ng the saints, sotid philosophy of good standard and good tradition one does not tall prey to temptations. Besides ones the garland ofholy tulsi is around ones neck, he starts behaving virtuously. H) The things which cannot be achieved with legal force; can be achieved by the teaching of the saints; Warkari does not tun1 towards western culture. He remains finn where he is; with the warkari sect. References : 1. Dr. Gopal Benare, Rana Pandharicha, Shree SantWangmay Seva Prakashan, Pandharpw', Page no. 13. 2. Dr. Anm Wadekar, Shrec Pandharpur Mahatmya, Sharada Sahitya Prakashan, , Page No. 92. 3. Solapur District Gazzcttcr ] 884, Page 415. 4. Pandit Mahadev Shastrl Joshi, Bharat Darshan, Maharashtra Page No.97. 5. Kitta, Page No.98. 6. Bhartiya Sanskruti Kosh Khand 8, Neelima Tatke, Page No. 603. 7. Interview of PD. Nikate (FalTIOllS for the study ofNamdev Literature)

(~()) 8. Bharatiya Sanskruti Kosh Khand 8, Page No. 607. 9. Interview of Bhagavatacharya V. N. Utpal. 10. Gopal Deshmukh, Solapur Distlict Bakha~ R U Prakashan, Punc. 11. Thavra D. R. Sant Charitra mala, Sant Krupa Prakashan, Pune 1983. 12. Ncvurgaonkar Sadashiv, Palkhi Sohala. 13. Shrcc Sant Wangamay Upasak Mandai, PandharpUl~ 1972. 14 . Shenalikar H.S., P.N.Oeshpande, Maharashtra Sanskll1ti Ghadan • Ani Vi kas~ Moghe Prakashan, Pune.

•