WAARI : THE PROCESSION OF LIFE

Jai Jai Vithoba Rakhumai

It was a wonderful Wednesday morning. The black clouds had accumulated in the sky overlooking a breathtaking view of Pune City. At 6 in the morning the Sun refused to make an appearance. Yes it was none other than the special day of Pune City on which around Seven Hundred thousand people walk cross Pune City to go to Pandharpur which is about 250 kms away. The entire distance is cover on foot while they sing Bhajans and Abhang. This spectacular walk is the largest and the most magnificent event of Maharashtra.  The entire distance is covered in around 15 days. Some people who cannot spare fortnight also have an option to walk only one of the legs. The most difficult leg of this event is Pune to Saswad which is around 32 Kms.

It does not matter even if it rains. The walk is on.

Inspired by my parents and my mother in law, I decided to walk a stretch of 32 kms from Pune to Saswad on Wednesday the 3^rd July 2013. They have been doing this for many years now and hence could get excellent guidance from them. My 62 year old friend, Malwadkar Kaku had done this earlierand was more than willing to accompany me.

The day starts off with a pleasant surprise when we see the “Dindi” walking along Shankarshet Road at Seven Loves square. We also start walking with them.  As we walk half a kilometer it starts raining and I realize I have worn wrong shoes. They are wet hence start cursing myself. But then I am able to look around and to my amazement, there are many who are wearing slippers and some of them are even bear foot. Ashamed of myself I now reconcile and am suddenly extremely comfortable with my footwear.

There are people everywhere. Most of them in a traditional attire worn mostly in the country side, Dhoti, Kurta and white cap. The procession is made energetic with the Bhajans and Abhanga. People are so engrossed in singing that they do not bother about the rain or wind. The weather is awesome with light drizzles and cool breeze.

As we walk past some people, one person calls me out, “Mauli, are you going to Saswad”. I nod my head, and ask him where is he from? He tells me he came from Parbhani district. As I interact with him, he tells me that he finished all the preliminary work of sawing seeds and has come here to go to Pandharpur. He has been doing it for past 6 years. He is drenched in rain. So I offer him to take the rain coat from the road side which is being distributed free. He refuses to do so and tells me if I do so I will not get anything from this exercise. You should never take anything from any one if you can afford to buy it yourself.  We start walking side by side and he tells me about his dindi. Around 80 people have joined him from his village.

I am enjoying every bit of Vaari now. The Bhajans are mesmarising. I clap to the rhythm and sing along with them.  The people are walking at a uniform pace. There are lots of volunteers on both the sides of the road. Lots of people are donating the eatables, raincoats, fruits, dhotis etc. People are lining up to collect whatever they need.

Now I realize, Vaari is a true representation of the society. There are majority of the people who are honest and sincere. They keep walking and praying. They do not collect anything that is being distributed for free. There is another set of people who accept only what is necessary for them to complete this procession. They do not run after the donors to grab the offerings. There is a third set who queues up for anything that is being distributed for free. These people are in minority however they become the major highlight and spread a negative word.

As we cross Phursungi and Wadaki, we now enter the ghat section. This is an uphill walk and the most difficult portion of the procession.  There is a dindi singing nice inspirational songs hence we decide to walk with them.  the entire ghat is full of people. If you look ahead you can see a line of Safron colour flags floating in the sky. As you look behind from the height, you can see the caps and turbans walking at a distance. The entire atmosphere is filled with Hari Naam : “Vithal Vithal Jai Hari”. There are people already sitting on the top of the hills to observe the procession.

Dnyanoba Tukaram

As we cross the ghat section, I ask if we reached Saswad and to my dismay, we still need to cover 7 kms. We take some rest and decide to reach the final destination. My legs are paining but my mind is fresh. We again join the singing group which makes our journey interesting. There is one person who tells me, he has been accompanying the Palkhi for past 22 years. He does it all by himself. There is a lady in nine yard Saari. She tells me that she came with her group from Phaltan. She is all praises for Pune city. She says, the people of Pune are the most generous people she has ever seen. More people join her and say, we have never been cheated in your city for all these years. It is a great city and has great people. I can’t believe what I just heard. I tell them, that since Mauli’s Aalandi is so close by, we are indebted to all his disciples.  My heart is filled with pride but at the same time I am aware I am incapable to take any credit.

Vaari is an all inclusive process. Any person who walks a few steps, is infused my the positivity of life. He is blessed with the presence of almighty and is charged by the goodness of people around. I am yet to meet a person who has even slightest negativity. Whether we believe or not the thoughts that provoked the society seven hundred years ago to follow the ethical path, the thoughts of saints that brought back the goodness of life are still so fresh that they can enchant the entire atmosphere.

As we follow the footsteps of Varkaris ( people who are the part of vaari), we reach our destination. We meet up with the traffic police who tells us the way to catch a bus to Pune. But at the same time, tells us affectionately that we should wait till the Palkhi of Dnyaneshwar Maharaj arrives. I can feel the warmth of Mauli filled in him. Now I realize the strength of this event.

Lakhs of feet walk side by side, for varied reasons, from varied locations to  a single destination with a single objective. The reasons are different but the goal is same. Goal is to meet the almighty, goal is to get absorbed in him so much that there is no duality. Goal is to celebrate the humanity. Goal is to celebrate the life nurtured by the mother earth.

Life Cycle Ride

Black Beauty

I went through an amazing experience this Sunday. It was a ride to Darewadi on Satara Road with a group of Germans who completed their journey of 10,000 kms on Bicycles. They started their journey from Germany in April 2012 and completed their final leg of 10,000 kms in Pune last week. They have travelled all the way from Europe via Iran and Pakistan to India. Darewadi is 30 kms away from Pune. The to and fro distance to be covered on bicycle was 60 kms. 

We began our cycle ride at 7.00 am on Sunday, 14^th October 2012. We were 20 of us including the cyclists from Germany. The journey began from Rajaram Bridge on Sinhagad Road. 

It was early morning. Two of my fellow cyclists chatted with me for a while and left me behind. I was a little disappointed and thought they could have waited for me, could have gone a bit slow. I felt as if I should leave this journey at once. But then I looked behind and said, ah, there are people behind me. Great Deal! Let me push the pedal hard.

We reached the bridge connecting a valley after taking a turn from Sinhagad Road. The journey started becoming interesting. A bus full of children waved at us which was so motivating, I was glad I did not mind others going ahead of me at the start. I realized I was so foolish, it was not about going first; it was about finishing the journey. 

Thanks to the mountains, Sun rays were not reaching us yet. And guess what, Maoushmi, the only girl of the elite group of four German Cyclists, meets up with me on her Bicycle who was on her way to complete final few Kilometres to make it a 10,000 kms. Mark. I chat with her for a while and push the pedal harder. She tells me a few experiences of her journey in Alps and Iran. It further boosts my morale. 

Now we are in the great tunnel connecting us to Shinde Wadi on Satara Road. I have travelled through this tunnel umpteen number of times in the Car, closed windows and AC on. Never felt the real thrill of the Tunnel all this time. I entered the tunnel and felt as though there is so much darkness ahead. Life brings you surprises all the time to make it interesting and entertaining. The cars were rapidly moving past me and all cyclists were pushed to the wall to form a queue automatically. We followed each other without any competition or complex. It was not cyclist against cyclist any more but it was cyclist against automobiles. 

The tunnel was unending. It was full of carbon emission and felt I might die due to suffocation. Was remembering if I did anything right to be remembered by others if it was my last breath. And here ended the tunnel. All of us relieved with fresh air and bright sunlight. So the good hours were back. We headed to Satara Road with rejuvenated enthusiasm and double the speed. All of us reach our next halt to receive water bottles which was like nectar to us and Peanut bars. Then I have a greater surprise. I am told now we are leaving the smooth highway which we travelled all along and taking a turn inside which is a village road. I try to find the road. There are more pits than the road. I take a deep breath and say. Oh my, charge up lady, you have a tough task ahead. We begin our journey on a single lane so called village road. The people are coming from the opposite side and I hear a German saying Kshama Kara in Marathi, a synonym to Sorry. He says, to me, he finds the traffic of India amazing. Little embarrassed I say yes it is crazy. He then says, I go mad in Germany when people do not decide whether they want to go or no. Instead here in India, everyone wants to go and wants to go very fast. I laugh but in the heart of heart salute him for his positive attitude. 

Then we reach the steep Ghats. This is deadly. Most of us are not able to cycle now. We hold our bicycles and keep pushing. We reach the peak and then with a slight slope and one turn we enter Village Darewadi. Villagers welcome us with Drums and all the pomp up but more warmth. After spending two hours with them we descend our journey back home. Total 30 kms.  On bicycle. 30 more for the return journey. 

I am amazed at the descend of the same Ghats which I hated so much while climbing. I am almost flying now. I am at the top of the world. But I do apply breaks and try to remember the hardships I had to keep my feet grounded. 

Same journey back home. However, feel so relaxed and triumphant. I feel proud of completing this cycle rally. It does not matter to me now, whether I am first or last. For that matter I am actually pedalling very slowly because, I do not want to give up now. I have the backup van right behind. It is tempting me to decide against pedalling. But I gather all my courage and pedal though the peaks, tunnels and amazing slopes.  Afternoon sun is burning us now. But it is a journey back home hence nothing matters. And here I complete my final mile with accomplished feeling, light heart, heavy legs and numb arms. 

Life is also a long cycle rally. It is more important to finish it than secure first place. There will be scary tunnels, bumpy rides and difficult ghats. But there will be easy slopes too. There will be people who will go ahead of you, but there will be more who will be close behind. It is more important to look at it positively and thank the almighty for whatever he offered. Sunshine or Darkness. Sunshine for a reason to smile and Darkness to wipe your tears without letting others know.

Moonlight Trek : Katraj to Sinhagad

Saturday night of 27^th April 2013 was very special and exciting for a bunch of crazy people. It was the second night after a full moon night. Our trekking group was toying the idea of a night trek for a very long time. We had discussed the destinations but had no clue how to go about. We had heard a lot about a  trek from Katraj Tunnel to Sinhagad which you can do only near the full moon night.  But none of us knew how to go about it.

I started surfing on the internet and found lot of information about the trek except for the route map. Everyone expressed a common view. There is no specific map or route which can be described. You just need to follow the red light of TV tower standing high on the Sinhagad Fort. Keep walking till you reach the foot of Sinhagad. That is about it. This was an amazing information. This was supported by a senior trekker Mrs. Nadgir (Age 65) who had accomplished this trek several times. She told that she was going this time also hence we decided to cling to her.

This trek is supposed to be very tough and challenging. The route is un-trodden and is full of surprises. Total distance is around 17 Kms. You need to climb up and down 13 hills which have thorny shrubs. Some of the slopes are very risky since there is nothing to hold on to and are slippery.

The Journey Begins:

We met at Swargate bus stand at 9.30 pm and were astonished to see the trekkers flocking in from everywhere. There were people from all age groups and all walks of life. Three buses full of trekkers left for Katraj Tunnel. We disembarked from the bus amd were bubbling with excitement.  We started following the trekkers who had already started walking.  We climbed the hill on the left side of the road and here it began.

Our group is really excited and charged up now. We start following the footsteps and get going. The first hill is steep and I lag behind. I am accompanied by my husband Chandan and his friend Anirudh. They are too fast and reach the top. Obviously they have a reason to call out my name because they cannot see me in the dark. I am close to them after some time and here we get going. Moon looks down upon us from the sky. We spend some time appreciating the moon light and put our torch to sleep. After a few steps we start climbing down the hill.

The Point of No Return:

And here is another peak as we climb down. We now realize what we are into. The entire night we are going to climb up and down the peaks till we reach the Sinhagad Hill which can be identified easily due to the red blinking light on the TV tower.  I am nervous and ask Chandan and Anirudh if I can change my mind. Though I cannot see their faces I realize there is no escape now. This is point of no return. As I think while I take the next steps, I realize, this is like a journey of life. You must go on. There is no rewind or no forward. You must live every moment and keep walking. No moment can be relived. You need to look forward and leave the past behind. There is no escape till you reach the final destination.

As I walk behind Chandan and Anirudh I now start enjoying the process. Some people are walking fast some we cross leaving them behind. All have a common destination to reach but at varied pace. I am now able to look around. My eyes have been able to adjust with the moon light. I am able to see a thin line of torch light climbing up the next hill so I know now where I need to be next. That is one milestone. It suddenly strikes me; I will need to break down my goal in several parts. I now reconcile with myself and stop looking at that red light of the TV tower and reorient to the torch lights blinking and rising on the next hill. Just concentrate on the nearest goal. That is it.

Life is Full of Ascends and Descends:

We reach a dead lock now. Some trekker is scared to walk down the slope. It indeed is very risky. There is nothing to hold on to. One wrong step can let you take a huge slide down the valley. Everyone is lining up to climb down. As we take our turn and reach down, we heave a sigh of relief. I always thought all my life that slopes are enjoyable and signify the pleasure of enjoyment after you have reached the peak with great hardships. But for the first time in my life I realize, slopes can be many times difficult as compared to the hardships. In fact those who sustain the slopes or rather downfalls are the ultimate winners. First climb in your life may be difficult but first downfall is more painful. Those who are able to take it easy can climb the next height without difficulty.

We keep climbing the slopes with more ease and less pain now. We are no more afraid of slopes after going through the worse. But at the same time we are no way near that red flickering light of the TV tower. Stars are gazing at us and moon is staring. We see the round moon actually travelling with us. We have completed three quarters of our journey and are totally exhausted. We want to get this over at once. But there is no escape. We start discussing the possibilities of quitting and at that moment I receive a phone call from Nadgir Aunty. She asks me the location. I really can’t describe. I tell her we are on some hill top and all the hills look alike. She tells me you must be somewhere close to completion. Just get going and you will finish. It boosts our morale and we start walking. Our legs have stopped paining due to numbness. We just want to reach the tar road somehow.

The Ultimate Triumph:

We are told by one experienced trekker after crossing more hills that we are on the top of the final hill. Just one descend and we will be out on the tar road. We are overwhelmed. Our speed is better. It is already 5.30 am. We hear birds chirping but cannot appreciate anything anymore. We keep going and suddenly we land on the tar road. We are overwhelmed and cannot express how happy we are. It feels as if the world is conquered. The joy of landing on the road is inexpressible.

Life is a very long journey. It has several ups and downs. You need the same amount of zeal to climb up the hill and also exhibit the same enthusiasm while you descend. As I completed the trek I realized, how enormous the nature is. Journey of life is extremely complicated. It takes you through the complicated climbs and risky slopes. You need mighty mind to climb the steeps and at the same time modest mind to come down the slopes. The destination is know and the path unknown. But if you break down the path in smaller destinations you might succeed. Life is a long journey; though not endless is certainly edifying.