Dindi's are on return journey from after grand Ashadhi Ekadashi celebration in Pandharpur. On the occasion of 750th birth anniversary of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and the 375th Vaikunthagamana ceremony of Sant Tukaram Maharaj an formal invitation was sent to Dehu Devasthan (Sant Tukaram Maharaj) to meet Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj in Alandi. Dehu Devasthan has accepted the invitation and will bring Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi to Alandi on July 20th Sunday.
Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj palanquin will be arriving in Alandi on Sunday July 20th. The invitation was given by the temple that the palanquin ceremony of Sant Tukaram Maharaj should come to Alandi on the same day. Bhavarth Dekhne and Trustee Chaitanya Maharaj Kabir sent a letter to Jalindar Maharaj More, President of Dehu Devasthan, stating that the palanquin ceremony of Sant Tukaram Maharaj would traditionally visit Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj in Alandi.
Earlier, Sant Tukaram Maharaj used to visit Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj in Alandi before continuing to Pandharpur. His son, Taponidhi Narayan Maharaj, initiated the palanquin ceremony in 1685, carrying Sant Tukaram's footwear from Dehu to Alandi in a palanquin. He then carried Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj's footwear to Pandharpur. After this tradition was discontinued, Guru Haibatbaba Arfalkar and independently started Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj's palanquin ceremony in 1832, resulting in separate routes for both saints' palanquins. Lakhs of devotees participate in each ceremony. This year, the Alandi Devasthan requested the Dehu Devasthan to move the ceremony to Alandi for a meeting of the two saints. Following discussions, the Dehu Devasthan accepted, allowing thousands of devotees to witness the unique meeting of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and Sant Tukaram Maharaj's palanquins on Sunday.
The palanquin ceremony of Jagadguru Sant Tukaram Maharaj will be warmly welcomed by the Alandi Devasthan and the villagers. Meanwhile, on July 28, 2008, on the occasion of the 400th birth anniversary of Tukaram Maharaj, the palanquin ceremony of Tukoba was brought to Alandi. Then, after 17 years, Jagadguru Tukobarai will come to Alandi once again.