Wari: The Bhakti Walk

The power of photography to freeze a moment in time is what draws me to the craft. One such moment has stayed with me. It was a scene I witnessed during my visit to Pandharpur for Ashadhi Ekadashi in 2001.

In the days when those considered “untouchable” were denied entry to the temple, the Bahujan Warkaris would return to their villages having only caught a glimpse of the temple’s kalas (pinnacle). This year marks 75 years since Sane Guruji’s fast on May 11, 1947, which finally opened the temple to all.

I saw an elderly Warkari, a pilgrim on the walk to Pandharpur, bathing in the Chandrabhaga River, assisted by his family. Just as the legendary devotee of Vithoba, Pundalik, once went on a pilgrimage with his aging parents and bathed them in the holy river, the Wari, or walk to Pandharpur, continues that tradition of service today. The elderly man in the photograph sat with closed eyes, a portrait of profound peace and contentment as the water poured over him. His face radiated the satisfaction of having completed the long journey of Wari on foot. This single photograph became my inspiration to explore the 800-year-old tradition of the…