Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays foundation stone of National Highways to facilitate movement of devotees to Pandharpur
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for four-laning of five sections of Shri Sant Dnyaneshawar Maharaj Palkhi Marg (NH-965) and three sections of Shri Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi Marg (NH-965G) through video conferencing today at 3.30 p.m. in an effort to make it easier for devotees to travel to Pandharpur in Maharastra.
Palkhi-specific sidewalks will be built on both sides of major National Highways, allowing devotees to travel without difficulty and in safety.
About 221 kilometres of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi Marg from Diveghat to Mohol, and about 130 kilometres of Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi Marg from Patas to Tondale – Bondale, will be four-laned with dedicated walkways for ‘Palkhi’ on either side, at estimated costs of over 6,690 crore rupees and around 4,400 crore rupees, respectively.
During the occasion, the Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation over 223 kilometres of finished and upgraded road projects along various National Highways, with an estimated cost of over one thousand 180 crore rupees, to improve connectivity to Pandharpur.
Mhaswad – Piliv – Pandharpur (NH-548E), Kurduwadi – Pandharpur (NH-965C), Pandharpur – Sangola (NH-965C), Tembhurni-Pandharpur portion of (NH-561A), and Pandharpur – Mangalwedha – Umadi section of (NH-561A) are some of these projects.
Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, and Uddhav Thackeray, the Maharashtra Chief Minister, will be in attendance.
Devotees have been trekking to Pandharpur in Maharashtra for generations, but with rising vehicular traffic on the Pandharpur Wari routes, safe pilgrimage facilities and road upgrades have become critical.
Thousands of devotees in Maharashtra will benefit from the upgraded infrastructure in and around Pandharpur, and the yearly pilgrimage will be completely secure not only for warkaris, but also for other devotees travelling to Pandharpur.
Pandharpur Wari is a Maharashtra annual pilgrimage in which devotees from all over the state travel for several days on the road to Pandharpur’s Vithoba Temple and take Darshan of the deity on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi. This annual pilgrimage attracts devotees from all castes and sects, who are known as Warkaris.
Padukas of numerous saints, notably Sant Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram, are transported in Palkhis on specified routes to Pandharpur, where the Yatra concludes on Ashadhi Ekadashi. During the month of Kartik, another pilgrimage is held, culminating on Kartiki Ekadashi.
The Warkaris are currently experiencing challenges because to vehicular traffic on these routes, and accidents occur throughout the trip.
However, with the development of Palkhi Marg and better road improvements, Warkaris will be able to walk safely on these routes, and devotees travelling to Pandharpur in private and public vehicles would be safe and comfortable.
