This Wednesday, around a million pilgrims joyously
danced their way into the sleepy little temple town of Pandharpur to receive blessings from Vitthala after having walked over 250 kilometres in 18 days. The Warkaris as these pilgrims are known, are usually simple villagers, who have kept this
Wari (pilgrimage) alive for over 700 years without a break.
A couple of us at Moved by Love felt called to dip our feet into this beautiful pilgrimage by walking with the warkaris and came back drenched with love. The Wari is a celebration of all things divine and the simple villagers an embodiment of love, faith, devotion, surrender, generosity and humility.
This week's Maitri Tunes is an offering to Vitthala by our wonderful friends Vedanth and Bindhu from their album Mati Kahe.
Vitthala jiva praani ek vitthaalchi naava
aisi amhi vhaavha raat liya paanduranga
aavade pandari aavade chandrabhaaga
yeti yamuna ganga raat liya paanduranga
aavade padmatirtha, aavade garudapaara
raahuli maaher paanduranga
naamaa manhe maaza vittala rakkumaayi
aanika paashi naahi
chitha maaza panduranga
deva vitthala devapuja vitthala
tirtha vitthala kshetra vitthala
maataa vitthala pita vitthala
bandhu vitthala gotra vitthala
guru vitthala gurudevata vitthala
nidhaana vitthala nirantara vitthala
naamha manhe maaza vitthala saampadalaa
mhanhoni kali kaalaa paada naahi
~ Sant Namdev
Translation by Vedanth Bharadwaj
The body and the soul is Vitthala's boat,
I think like that, and of Him day and night
I like Pandari, I like Chandrabhaaga
I like Ganga and Yamuna too
I like the river Padma and Garudapaara
Vitthala came to me, I saw him
Namdev says, i am thinking of Vitthala and Rakkumaayi,
I have no bondages with this world,
I am one with Panduranga
My God is Vitthala, His puja is Vitthala,
The pilgrimage is Vitthala, the field is Vitthala
Mother is Vitthala, Father is Vitthala,
Friends are Vitthala, Family is Vitthala
Guru is Vitthala, the Bigger thought is Vitthala
Vitthala comes very slowly, but once he comes he stays
Namdev said, i saw Vitthala
And he said, don't waste time in this Kaliyuga doing anything else other than chanting my name.
