Pandharpur Wari or Wari is a yatra to Pandharpur, Maharashtra, to honor Vithoba. It involves carrying the paduka of a saint in a palkhi, most notably of Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram, from their respective shrines to Pandharpur. Many pilgrims join this procession on foot. Warkari is a Marathi term which means "one who performs the wari". The tradition is more than 700 to 800 years old.[1][2][3]
Marches happen on foot from various locations in Maharashtra to Vithoba Temple.[4] This yatra takes 21 days. Along the way, many other palkis join the two most revered palkhis. Starting from their towns located in Pune district of Maharashtra: Sant Dnyaneshwar's palkhi leaves from Alandi, while Tukaram's begins at Dehu. The wari culminates at the Vithoba Temple on the holy occasion of Shayani Ekadashi.[5] Devotees from across Maharashtra and nearby areas leave for Pandharpur, wearing holy basil beads and singing the glories of Vithoba and songs like "Gyanba Tukaram", commemorating the saints.[6] When they reach Pandharpur on Shayani Ekadashi, the devotees bathe in the sacred Bhima River before visiting the temple.