Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
The Paduka of Lord Vitthal, part of the Pandharpur to London Global Wari, arrived at the Vitthal-Rukmini Temple in Waluj on Tuesday. The Wari was welcomed with devotion and joy by hundreds of devotees.
A special pooja of the holy Paduka was performed by Wari organizer Anil Khedkar from London, temple trust chairman Rajendra Pawar, secretary Adv. Appasaheb Jhalake Patil, and local coordinators Anil Palve and Sunil Shinkar. The Sahasranam (chanting of 1000 names of Lord Vitthal) was also held. Khedekar also announced the construction of a Vitthal-Rukmini Temple in London, where these holy Paduka will be enshrined. The Wari, which started from Pandharpur on April 14, will travel 18,000 km by road across 19 countries and reach London by June 21, 2025, on Ashadhi Ekadashi. The route includes Nepal, China, Russia, France, Germany, and the UK, among others. Khedkar said the Paduka could have been flown to London, but the Wari is about spiritual connection, not speed. A Vitthal-Rukmini temple is also being built in London, spread over six acres, with a budget of Rs 200 crore. More than 500 devotees from places like Malkapur, Jalgaon, Paithan, Beed, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar attended the darshan. The Paduka will travel next to Nagpur and will be welcomed in every state along the way. If the Wari continues every year, Khedkar assured that Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar will always be a stop. Though settled abroad, he has walked the Wari to Pandharpur for the past seven years. The Paduka were made by the same artist who crafted the silver foot coverings at Pandharpur.