Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar will be participating in this year's Ashadhi Wari pilgrimage. The Ashadhi Palkhi procession, which heads to Pandharpur, includes the initiative 'Experience Wari for a Day'. This initiative sees participation from writers, intellectuals, journalists, social workers, and artists. This year, Sharad Pawar will join the pilgrimage. Accompanying him will be senior Congress leader and former MLA Ulhas Pawar, descendant of Jagadguru Tukaram Maharaj ,Bapusahib Maharaj Dehukar, Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi, Bharat Maharaj Jadhav from Kaikadi Maharaj Math in Pandharpur, editor of Marmik weekly Mukesh Machkar, poet Arun Mhatre, and Ravindra Pokharkar from Abhivyakti Channel, as announced by Shamsundar Maharaj Sonner.
The 'Experience Wari for a Day' initiative has been running for ten years, now entering its eleventh year under the leadership of Shamsundar Maharaj Sonnar, with the organization led by Sharad Kadam, Avinash Patil, Varsha Deshpande, Subhash Vare, Rajabhau Avsarkar, Vishal Vimal, and Datta Pakire. This year, on July 7, participants will walk from Baramati to Sansar during the Sant Tukaram Palkhi procession. To discuss the initiative, Shamsundar Maharaj Sonnar and social worker Sharad Kadam met Sharad Pawar at his Mumbai residence, Silver Oak, on Monday, June 17.
The initiative allows participants to understand the essence of Wari, including thoughts of discipline, brotherhood, and equality, by walking for a day. During the afternoon rest, select individuals share their experiences. Sharad Kadam explained this to Sharad Pawar, who praised the initiative for fostering social unity and confirmed his participation this year. Prominent figures from Maharashtra’s social and cultural spheres are invited to join.
For the past five years, the Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi procession has included the Samata Dindi, reflecting the values of equality, brotherhood, social justice, and freedom as expressed by the saints through their verses and scriptures. This concept, embedded in the Constitution, is presented to the people through kirtans and discourses. The Samata Dindi travels from Pune to Pandharpur, as explained to Sharad Pawar by Shamsundar Maharaj Sonnar, the leader of Samata Dindi.