Mumbai: On Sunday night, unmindful of the rains that lashed the metropolitan region, 68-year-old Rachana Vaidya made sure that she packed her belongings to leave for Pandharpur. At Pandharpur, she will make it a point to visit Lord Vitthoba Temple (Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Mandir) on the day of 'Ashadi Ekadashi' (June 29) to have darshan and seek blessings. An avid devotee of Lord Vithoba, she has completed the 21-day ‘wari’ (pilgrimage walk) for 12 years. "Now due to age that is not possible. But she makes it a point to stay there for the entire Chaturmas (four months) period besides availing the darshan on Ekadashi day and listening to Dnyaneshwari Keertan and Tukaram Gatha," said Kshitija Vaidya, her daughter who also makes it a point to go to Pandharpur.
"Since my daughter was born, I have been going to Pandharpur during the Kartiki Ekadashi. As it falls closer to Dilwai and my daughter has vacation, we go together," said Vaidya. On the day of Ashadi Ekadashi, Vaidya visits Lord Vitthal Mandir and Dnayaneshwar Mandir in Thane. "At home, I offer 1,001 Tulsiji at the feet of Lord Vitthal. Tulsi-ji is his favourite. I also fast on this day," said Vaidya.
Tulsiji offered to Lord Vitthal |
'Ashadi Ekadashi' beginning of 'chaturmas'
'Ashadi Ekadashi' or 'Devshayani Ekadashi' on June 29 (Thursday) is observed during the 'Ashada' month of the Hindu Calendar. It marks the commencement of the slumber of Lord Vishnu (Lord Vitthal) on the 'sheshnag' for a four month period also called 'Chaturmas'. "He gets up after four months. This period is called 'chaturmas'. This time it is 'adhik masyam' (extra period) so my mother will be staying in Pandharpur for five months," said Vaidya.
Devotees on this day make it a point to listen to Sant Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram's bhajan. "At our temple through the day we will have 25 'bhajan mandalis' who will be singing 'bhajans' for one hour," informed Nitin Mhatre, one of the five trustees of Vithoba Ganpati Mahadeo Mandir Trust that looks after Vitthal Mandir (Prati Pandharpur) in Wadala. The temple will see around six lakh devotees visit the temple on the day of Ekadashi. "We will have an early morning 4 am 'Maha abhishek' of the Lord after which the temple will be open. This year the temple will open from 4 am on June 28 and will shut only after the last of the devotees have left the next day (June 29)," said Mhatre of the 406 year old temple whose Pran Pratishthan is said to be done by Sant Tuakaram. "It is also the reason it is called 'Prati' (duplicate) Pandharpur of the main temple. The idols of the temple were found at Chandrabhaga river. Back then when the temple was first made, it was like an old style house with mangalore tiles," said Mhatre.
Now it resembles a proper temple with a ‘kalash’ of which people take darshan in the night before leaving after they perform walking pilgrimage. "Around 251 dindis will be coming to the temple. These come by night of the 28th or on the 29th. They will come walking from around the city and the extended suburbs. A number of devotees take darshan by either coming inside or of the ‘kalash’ from outside if there are too many people. This time too we expect around six lakh people to visit the temple on Ashadi Ekadashi."
Kshitija Vaidya and family |
Involving children in the tradition
To ensure that children also get to know about Ekadashi, schools too will be having plays around it. "Ashadi Ekadashi activities are planned and conducted for our pre-primary school children. They are dressed in a way to mark the Ekadashi and have 'Palkhi yatra' too. The idea is that they get to know the relevance of 'Ekadashi'," said an official from Shree Mavli Mandal High School, Thane.
