Medical aid for Pandharpur Wari – July 2018
‘Gyanba Tukaram’ and ‘Mauli Mauli’ are perhaps the most uttered words in Maharashtra during the ‘Wari’ period. Pandharpur Wari or pilgrimage to Pandharpur is among the most awaited, social and spiritual occasions in Maharashtra. The famous 250-km walk during Pandharpur Wari that crosses the length and breadth of Maharashtra is a huge social event.
The Pandharpur Wari, a distinct form of pilgrimage is taking place for more than 800 years. Annually hundreds of thousands of Warkaris travel on foot to have a glimpse of Lord Vitthal. The nearly two-week long journey culminates at the famous Vithoba Temple at Pandharpur in Maharashtra on Ekadashi (11th day) of the Hindu calendar in month of Ashadha as per the Hindu calendar.
Punekars welcome the palkhi of Shri Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj & Shri Sant Tukaram Maharaj with much zeal and gusto in the month of June/July every year which starts from Alandi and Dehu respectively.
Targeting the massive crowd Symbiosis Community Outreach Programme and Extension (SCOPE) in association with Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences (SIHS), Symbiosis College of Nursing (SCON) and Mrs. Sheela Raj Salve Trust provide primary medical care to Warkaris during Wari. Four ambulances and more than 250 student volunteers actively work towards providing medical care to the Warkaris over a period of 3 days. The overall logistics & crowd management is looked after by the students of MBA Hospital & Health care Management, SIHS and SCON. The Warkaris are treated for various ailments such as acute gastro enteritis, fever, different kinds of minor injuries, aches / pains etc.
Speaking about this community outreach initiative, during the inaugural function on 6th July 2018 for Wari, the Chancellor of Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Dr. S.B. Mujumdar, observed that, if every college under every university were to take initiatives for the benefit of society and fellow humans, it would greatly improve the social conditions of our society. Mr. Ratnakar Gaikwad, Mr. Siddharth Dhende Deputy Mayor of Pune Municipal Corporation, Mr. Vasudev Gade Ex- Vice Chancellor of Savitribai Phule Pune University, Mr Avinash Salve PMC corporator, Mr. Prashant Waghmare PMC City Engineer, Kanhiyaa Khyandelwal, Mr. Ullhas Pawar, Chachaji Bhatewara, Vikas Runwal, Sudhir Darode, Kanhiyaa Khandelwal and many other dignitaries graced the event.
Last year the total numbers of Warkaris served by this initiative were 41,668. This year the estimation is for serving over 50 thousand Warkaris. The Warkaris were treated for various ailments like acute gastro enteritis, fever, different kinds of minor injuries, aches / pains etc. The plan is to manage the event by the dedicated community outreach team of Symbiosis International (Deemed University), emergency medical practitioners and the MBA students. This event is applauded by one and all.
The Symbiosis management including Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar, Dr. Rajiv Yeravdekar, Col. Jayalakshmi N. Pillai (Retd.), Dr. Alka Chandak and many teaching & non-teaching staff members of Faculty of Health & Biomedical Sciences join the Warkaris by walking in the holy procession for a stretch of nearly 10 km and sometimes it is above 25 km. It was cited later by many employees of Symbiosis as an experience of a lifetime.
