Chalo Uthawo Palki .....

(Image taken from Google)

• Palki Festival is 1000  years old tradition of Maharashtra,which has been followed by warkaries-worshipers of Vithoba. (also known as Vitthal-a form of Lord krishna)
• Palkhi Festival, which lasts for 22 days, starts in the month of Jyeshth (June). Every year on the eleventh day of the first half of the month of Ashadh, the Palkhi reaches Pandharpur. Every saint, right from Sant Jyaneshwar to Sant Tukaram was following the wari tradition.
• 
  

• (Image taken from Google)
• Varkari wear tulasi-mala, a rosary made from Ocimum tenuiflorum. They are lacto-vegetarians and follow a sattvic diet. Furthermore, like many other Vaishnava sects, they refrain from using onion and garlic in their cooking. Sect members also refrain from intoxicating substances such as alcohol.
• Pilgrims carry litters of the saints from their places of samadhi (enlightenment or "spiritual birth"). 
• The tradition of carrying thepaduka (sandals) of the sants in a litter was started by the youngest son of Tukaram, Narayan Maharaj, in 1685. 
• Further changes were brought to the pilgrimage by descendants of Tukaram in the 1820s and by Haibatravbaba, a courtier of theScindias who was also a devotee of Dnyaneshwar.

(compiled from Wikipedia)

Jai Panduranga Vitthala!

Mahabaleshawar again ....

“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” – Seneca
One more page was added in my Travelogue ,Mhabaleshwar and Panchgani together ,famous hill stations,well known for its strawberry produce, situated in western ghats.
It had been 17 years back we visited earlier.This time also it was short and lovely stay in these twin hill stations.

Mahabaleshwar comprises three villages:malcolm peth,old kshetra and part of shindola village. The literal meaning of Mahabaleshwar is "god of great power".Famous places where we visited, were Mahabaleshwar temple,Venna , Aurthur seat, three monkey point and many more lovely points surrounded by lush green beauty.   
Any hill station without monkeys, is impossible.Activities of monkeys lure tourists.

While returning, we visited

chocholate factory,located in Mapro strawberry farms. 
The word of panchgani is made of panch and ganis,which means five settlements.These five settlements are five hills of Sahyadri.The beautiful views of krishna valley from west to ast with its helmets and picturesque points can be seen.
One of the prominent  things which drew my attention to ponder about is, the fortune tellers.Children of 10-12 years were also involved in this profession,on such tourist places.Can anyone read their mind ??A big question left here........