Orchidians participate in the Wari procession to connect with the Warkari Sampradaya. Class VII students from The Orchid School were fortunate to witness a sea of Warkaris from all over the state as they strode through Range hills, Pune on 7th July 2018, Saturday. The students also interacted with the Warkaris and tried to understand the local culture. The aim of the visit was to expose our students to the rich culture of Maharashtra. Earlier, the Orchids students were oriented about Waris and the Warkari Sampradaya in the school. Students distributed snacks and water to the Warkaris while singing some abhangs written by saint’s centuries ago. The Warkaris were also given balls of clay containing fruit seeds to throw them on their way to Pandharpur. Seed balls can include many types of seeds, making way for fruit trees everywhere at the drop of a clay ball. Seed balls can be thrown, spread or just left on the ground. Sant Dyaneshwar Palkhi started from Alandi on Friday and arrived in Pune on Saturday. Sant Dyaneshwar Palkhi and Sant Tukaram`s Palkhi will wait at Palkhi Vithoba Temple in Bhavani Peth for a day on Sunday and both will leave on Monday. The Warkari men, women and children will then walk to the Vithal temple in Pandharpur, some 210 km from Pune. Both processions entered Pune through separate routes and by evening, streets in Shivajinagar and Peth areas were filled with lakhs of Warkaris. They had descended on temple town Dehu and Alandi from various parts of Maharashtra and a few other states. Divided into several “dindis” (groups), some carried idols of Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram on their heads, while a few others carried “tulsi” pots. Several Warkaris swayed holding saffron flags. The old, the infirm, men and women walked hand in hand to honour their commitment to the tradition of “wari.” Warkari sampradaya belongs to the Bhakti movement which preaches equality to all and worship Vithoba. They follow a duty-based life with emphasis on moral behavior, avoid alcohol, tobacco, follow a vegetarian diet and fast every Ekadashi. Students returned to the school with everlasting memories about this unique procession and 700-year-old Warkari sampradaya. ==============***=======================***========================***================== .