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Pandharpur Wari in Pune
A river of saffron flags that sings its way through the monsoon rain
Sixteen days before the warkaris reach Pandharpur, the two great palkhis from Alandi and Dehu walk into Pune together on the same evening, rest a full day in two city temples, and leave together before dawn on the third.
Where to watch
Palkhi Vitthal temple, Bhavani Peth: the halt of the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj palkhi for two nights and the rest day, in central Pune. Free. The peth streets around it close to vehicles on the arrival and departure days.
Nivdunga Vitthal temple, Nana Peth: the halt of the Sant Tukaram Maharaj palkhi for two nights and the rest day, a short walk from Bhavani Peth. Free.
Wakdewadi and Patil Estate Chowk: where the two palkhis meet on the arrival afternoon and enter the city together; north Pune, on the Mumbai road.
Dive Ghat, on the Pune–Saswad road: the Dnyaneshwar palkhi's climb out of the Pune basin on the morning it leaves, one of the most watched stretches of the whole route. About 20 km south-east of central Pune; reachable that morning, but the road itself carries the procession.
Alandi: the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj palkhi leaves the samadhi mandir the day before it reaches Pune, about 25 km north of the city on the Indrayani. In 2025 it left around 21:30; in 2026 the schedules gave 15:00 to 16:00.
Dehu: the Sant Tukaram Maharaj palkhi leaves a day or two before the Alandi departure, about 30 km north-west of Pune on the Indrayani.
Free viewing
- Outside the Vitthal Temple, Bhavani Peth, on the arrival evening and through the rest day
- Outside the Nivdunga Vitthal Temple, Nana Peth, for the Tukaram palkhi
- Wakdewadi and Patil Estate Chowk, where the two palkhis meet and go on together
- Ramoshi Gate Chowk and Mukti Fauj Chowk, on the shared departure route out towards Hadapsar
- Dive Ghat on the Saswad road, for the climb, on the morning the Dnyaneshwar palkhi leaves
Programme
The palkhis enter Pune
The two palkhis converge at Wakdewadi and Patil Estate on the northern edge of the city and go on into Pune together. Sant Tukaram Maharaj's palkhi comes down from its Akurdi halt via Chinchwad, Pimpri, Nashik Phata, Dapodi and Khadki; Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj's comes from Alandi via Vishrantwadi and Sangamwadi towards Shivajinagar.
Wakdewadi and Patil Estate Chowk, north Pune
The palkhis enter Pune
Both palkhis reach their halts. Hundreds of dindis, each a group of warkaris singing abhangs with taal and mridang, come in behind them.
Nivdunga Vitthal Temple, Nana Peth (Tukaram palkhi) and the Vitthal Temple, Bhavani Peth (Dnyaneshwar palkhi)
The rest day in Pune
Both palkhis stay put. The padukas are open for darshan at the two temples and warkaris fill the peths around them. This is the one day in the whole Wari when the palanquins are stationary in a large city and reachable on foot.
Nivdunga Vitthal Temple, Nana Peth, and the Vitthal Temple, Bhavani Peth
Both palkhis leave the city
Traffic on the palkhi routes closes in phases from 2 am and stays closed until both palkhis are out of Pune police limits. Parking is barred for 100 metres either side of the routes.
Bhavani Peth, Nana Peth and the Solapur Road corridor
Both palkhis leave the city
The Dnyaneshwar palkhi leaves the Vitthal temple in Bhavani Peth via Ramoshi Gate Chowk, Bhavani Mata Temple, Mukti Fauj Chowk, Pul Gate Chowki Chowk and Mammadevi Chowk, then Solapur Road to Hadapsar bus stand, and turns for Saswad over the Dive Ghat.
Bhavani Peth to Hadapsar and Dive Ghat
Both palkhis leave the city
The Tukaram palkhi leaves the Nivdunga Vitthal temple in Nana Peth via Aruna Chowk, Samadhan Chowk, Pimpri Chowk, A.D. Camp Chowk, Ramoshi Gate Chowk, Bhavani Mata Temple, Mukti Fauj Chowk, Pul Gate Chowki Chowk and Mammadevi Chowk, then Solapur Road to Hadapsar, halting for the night at Kadam Wak Wasti (Loni Kalbhor).
Nana Peth to Hadapsar and Loni Kalbhor