#warkari

Śri Viṭṭhala Pāṇḍuranga and Rakhumābāi

Śri Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa is most popularly worshipped across Maharashtra and Northern Karnataka as Śri Viṭṭhala Pāṇḍuranga with his consort Devī Rukmiṇī colloquially known as Rakhumābāi or Rakhumāī. While the principle temple dedicated to Śri Viṭṭhala Pāṇḍuranga is as the temple town of Paṇḍharapura, small shrines dedicated to Śri Viṭṭhala Rakhumāī are found across Maharashtra.

The Ashadi Wari is one of India’s most profound living pilgrimages — a centuries-old journey of devotion, rhythm, and collective faith. Walking alongside the Palkhi offers photographers an immersive experience into Maharashtra’s spiritual and cultural landscape.

From devotional chants and ritual processions to intimate human moments, every frame tells a story of belief, endurance, and community.

📅 Tour Dates

• 15 – 18 July 2026 • 19 – 24 July 2026

Each schedule follows a thoughtfully planned route aligned with key pilgrimage moments — including processions, rituals, and everyday life along the Wari path.

📍 Location

Maharashtra, India

The journey covers culturally significant locations along the Ashadi Wari route, offering photographers access to diverse landscapes, communities, and devotional practices.

📷 Why Join This Photo Tour?

• Procession & Palkhi Documentation • Warkari Community Portraits • Ritual & Devotional Storytelling • Street & Cultural Photography • Guided Documentary Mentoring

To walk alongside the Palkhi is to walk with centuries of belief. To photograph Ashadi Wari is to take responsibility toward culture and people.

📞 Join the Ashadi Wari 2026 Photo Tour

Call / WhatsApp: +91 86050 13985 More Details: https://arunsaha.com/ashadi-wari-the-annual-palkhi-yatra/

Ashadi Wari is not just a pilgrimage — it is a living story, written in footsteps, rhythm, and devotion.

Ashadi Wari is one of India’s most profound spiritual journeys, marked by the movement of the sacred Palkhi and the unwavering devotion of Warkaris walking toward Pandharpur. The pilgrimage reflects centuries of faith, equality, and cultural continuity.

Through the Ashadi Wari 2026 Photo Tour by Arun Saha Photography, participants can experience and photograph this powerful tradition with depth and authenticity.

Understanding Ashadi Wari and the Palkhi

Ashadi Wari traces its origins to the 13th-century Bhakti movement led by saint-poets Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram.

At the heart of the pilgrimage is the Palkhi procession — symbolizing humility, equality, and devotion. Thousands of Warkaris walk together, singing abhangas and carrying forward a spiritual legacy that has endured for centuries.

Photographing Ashadi Wari and Palkhi 2026

Documenting Ashadi Wari and Palkhi 2026 demands patience and sensitivity. These are not staged performances — moments unfold naturally along the pilgrimage route:

• Dust-covered feet walking miles • Tired yet determined faces • Sacred rituals like Ringan • Silent roadside prayers • Devotional music & movement

The tour is designed for photographers who wish to move beyond surface imagery and create meaningful documentary narratives.

Palkhi Portfolio by Arun Saha Photography

The Palkhi Portfolio by Arun Saha Photography reflects long-term, ethical storytelling focused on devotion, movement, and the Warkari tradition.

His work documents Ashadi Wari not as spectacle, but as lived faith — shaped by people, rhythm, and collective belief.

Ashadi Wari 2026 Photo Tour — Overview

As the Palkhi moves from village to village, roads transform into sacred spaces filled with music, rituals, and shared devotion.

Palkhi 2026 continues this unbroken tradition — reminding us that faith is not static. It walks, sings, and endures.

📅 Tour Dates

• 15 – 18 July 2026 • 19 – 24 July 2026

Each schedule follows a thoughtfully planned route aligned with key pilgrimage moments — including processions, rituals, and everyday life along the Wari path.

📍 Location

Maharashtra, India

The journey covers culturally significant locations along the Ashadi Wari route, offering photographers access to diverse landscapes, communities, and devotional practices.

Who Is This Photo Tour For?

The Ashadi Wari 2026 Photo Tour is ideal for:

• Documentary & street photographers • Cultural storytellers & visual journalists • Photography students & enthusiasts • Travelers seeking meaningful cultural experiences

Cameras matter less than intent, respect, and curiosity.

Join the Ashadi Wari 2026 Photo Tour

To walk alongside the Palkhi is to walk with centuries of belief. To photograph Ashadi Wari is to take responsibility toward culture and people.

📞 Call / WhatsApp: +91 86050 13985 🌐 More Details: https://arunsaha.com/ashadi-wari-the-annual-palkhi-yatra/

Ashadi Wari is not just a pilgrimage — it is a living story, written in footsteps, rhythm, and devotion.

From: Celebration of Faith: Play, Performance and Pleasure on the Wari Photography: Kamesh Bharadwaj Curations and Captions: Kartikay Khetarpal Source: Sahapedia

"Varkari can refer to an individual or group who undertakes a pilgrimage to the temple of Lord Vithoba or Vitthala in the town of Pandharpur in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. Lord Vithoba himself, and the pilgrimage to Pandharpur can, in many respects, be considered the most important, popular deity and pilgrimage in Maharashtra. Indeed, in some manner, the pilgrimage itself defines the idea of Maharashtra as a distinct region as pilgrim processions from the different cities and towns converge on this sacred center."

"Some Warkaris carry small idols of Vitthal and Rukmini on their shoulders as they walk towards Pandharpur."

"Be it night or day, the Warkaris frequently come together to sing the abhangas or devotional poems of the many sant-kavis revered in their tradition."

"The Vasudeos are a community of mendicants who roam the streets of Pandharpur seeking alms and singing bhajans in the praise of Vitthal."

"The Dyaneshwar Maharaj Mandir in Pandharpur is the place where the Dyaneshwar palkhi rests for the five days that it will stay in the town before on the day of the upcoming Purnima (full moon) when it starts making its way back to Alandi like all the other palkhis."

"The 16th-century sant-kavi Eknath wrote hundreds of such drama-poems. Many are in the voice of Mahals, as well as women and Muslims. Some are spiritual allegories."