Om Sai Ram
Tithi in Hindu Calendar on June 23, 2011 – Today is Krishna Paksha Ashtami – eighth day of waning phase of moon in Hindu calendar and Panchang in all places. It is Krishna Paksha Ashtami Tithi from 4:00 AM on June 23. Before 4:00 AM it is Saptami Tithi. All time based on India Standard Time.
Nakshatra – Purvabhadrapada or Puruttathi Nakshatra till 9:04 AM. Afterwards it is Uttarabhadrapada or Uthritathi Nakshatram.
Rashi or Moon Sign – Kumbha Rasi till 2:29 AM. Then onwards it is Meena Rasi.
Festivals, Vrat and Auspicious days – Kalashtami, Bhairavashtami. Dnyaneshwar Palki begins from Alandi for annual Pandarpur Yatra.
The annual Pandarpur Yatra carrying Dnyaneshwar Palki from Alandi, near Pune, to Pandharpur Vithoba Temple is attended by millions of devotees. In 2011, the date of Sri Dnyaneshwar Palki Prasthan from Alandi is on June 23rd and the Ashadi Ekadasi is on July 11. Considered to be one of the world’s largest pilgrimages, the waarkaris (Pilgrims) from Alandi follow the palanquin carrying the silver images of the Padukas (Sandals) of Saint Dnyaneshwar. The pilgrimage known as Waari in Marathi ends on the Ashadi Ekadasi.
Sant Dnyaneshwar, also known as Jnanadev or Jnaneshwar revolutionized Marathi bhakti literature and at the age of fifteen wrote Jnaneswari – a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita which has been a household text in Maharashtrian homes for centuries
Pandharpur is a town in district Solapur in state of Maharashtra in Western India. It is one of the most revered pilgrimage sites in Maharashtra. It is located 65 km west of Sholapur, on the banks of the river Bhima, which is also known as Chandrabhaga. Known as "Sourthern Kashi of India", Pandharpur proudly hosts the "Kuladivat" of Maharashtra State- Shree Vithoba and Rukmini, on the banks of the river. Also known by the other names, Pandurang, Vitthal or Pandhari, it is supposed to be The Supreme God of The Universe for all the Maharashtrians and an incarnation of Lord Shiva and Vishnu. The word Vitthala is derived from the word Vishnu in Kannada. Panduranga is a sanskritized form of Pandarga, the old name of Pandharpur. Pundalik, a saint was closely associated with this shrine, and hence this shrine is also known as Pundarika pura. The worship of Vishnu - Vitthala at Pandharpur is derived mainly from the puranas and has been augmented by the contribution of the great Vaishnava saints of Maharashtra and Karnataka from the 13th through the 17th centuries like Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Sant Eknath, Purandara Dasa, Vijaya Dasa, Gopala Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa, Chokhamela, Janabai and many others.
Another important Palki that is followed by thousands devotees is that of Sant Tukaram from Dehu near Pune..It must be noted that today nearly 40 Palkis of various saints and Gurus reach Pandarpur to
participate .in Ashadi Ekadasi rituals.
Ashadi Ekadashi, as the name indicates, is the Ekadasi during the waxing phase of moon in the month of Ashada (July). In 2011, the date of Ashadi Ekadasi is July 11. It is popularly referred as Ashadhi Ekadashi in Maharashtra and is associated with Lord Vitthal, an incarnation of Lord Krishna. The famous Pandharpur Yatra culminates on this day at the Vitthala Temple in Pandarpur.
Ashadi Ekadashi is popularly as Deva Sayani Ekadasi in other parts of the country. Scores of devotees also take a holy dip in Godavari River on the day and pay obeisance to Lord Rama at Kala Ram temple.
The day is of great significance to the Bhakti cult in Maharashtra. Sant Tukaram and Sant Jnaneshwar two of the great Bhakti exponents in Maharashtra reached the abode of Lord Vitthal in Pandharpur on Ashadi Ekadasi. They had set out on foot around fifteen days before the auspicious day from their villages. Sant Tukaram started from Dehu village near Pune and Sant Jnaneshwar from Alandi. They walked on foot singing the praise of Lord Vithal and reached the shrine on the auspicious day for the darshan of the Lord.
In memory of this pilgrimage, Maharashtrians undertake Dindi Yatra or Pandharpur Yatra by foot to the Pandarpur shrine of Vitthala. The devotees are known Varkaris and they go in a procession carrying the ‘palki’ of Sant Tukaram and Sant Jnaneshwar.
Quote of BABA:
Give up all your desires and meditate on the Lord. When the mind is focused, your goal will be achieved![]()
Baba wants us to emulate trees which can set before us ideals and serve as our guides. Thus, He brought several plants from every nook and corner and planted them in the Lendi Garden. He Himself watered the plants everyday. Every act of Baba has a meaning for it and it is a lesson in the art of living for us. We enjoy the fruits of trees that were planted by our ancestors. Likewise, we have to take pains and raise beautiful gardens and orchards for the posterity. If a plant is protected when it is a sapling, it will protect us, in turn, when it grows into a big tree. Trees do not store fruits for themselves. The message they drive home is that even man should not hoard all his earnings. We have to look to trees as our teachers and take them as a model and make use of our earnings for the social upliftment and good.
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Let Trees be our Ideal Teachers
Plants and trees which draw sap from the earth, water from the cloud, energy from the wind and sun not only survive for themselves, but they are proving to be of great use to all beings. As long as they live, they serve the society by yielding fruits, flowers, medicinal leaves and bark. Trees supply pure oxygen and offer cool shade. They draw clouds and cause them to rain. They are holding the earth stronger with their roots. So long as they survive, they not only give cool shade to the birds, fodder to the cattle and turn into fuel-wood useful to man.Baba wants us to emulate trees which can set before us ideals and serve as our guides. Thus, He brought several plants from every nook and corner and planted them in the Lendi Garden. He Himself watered the plants everyday. Every act of Baba has a meaning for it and it is a lesson in the art of living for us. We enjoy the fruits of trees that were planted by our ancestors. Likewise, we have to take pains and raise beautiful gardens and orchards for the posterity. If a plant is protected when it is a sapling, it will protect us, in turn, when it grows into a big tree. Trees do not store fruits for themselves. The message they drive home is that even man should not hoard all his earnings. We have to look to trees as our teachers and take them as a model and make use of our earnings for the social upliftment and good.
एक बार जाना चाहता हूँ।
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