Ashadi Ekadashi Celebration

निघे पंढरीची वारी

सज्ज सारे वारकरी,

अद्भुत तो सोहळा

विठ्ठल विठ्ठल गजरी

The sacred spirit of Ashadi Ekadashi came alive at Parle Tilak Vidyalaya English Medium School (Secondary Section) as students and teachers came together to celebrate this vibrant festival with joy, devotion and unity.

Our teacher, Mrs Sukhada Joglekar, took over as the host for the morning and gracefully guided the audience through each segment of the event.

Mrs Anvaya Kane delivered an insightful speech describing the deep cultural and spiritual significance of the Warkari tradition. With clarity and warmth, she connected the old with the new, reminding us why such traditions still hold meaning in today’s world. She concluded her talk with a moving recitation of the Marathi poem ‘पंढरीची वारी’, leaving many with a sense of quiet reflection.

Here is an abstract from the teacher’s speech:

“संत ज्ञानेश्वर यांनी समाजात समता, एकता, बंधुता या मूल्यांचा प्रसार व्हावा आणि समाजाला खरा भक्तिमार्ग दिसावा या हेतूने वारकरी संप्रदायाची स्थापना केली आणि संप्रदायातील सर्व संतांनी हे कार्य पुढे सुरू ठेवले.

         संतांचे तत्वज्ञान हे समाजाभिमुख आणि विज्ञाननिष्ठ असेच आहे. म्हणूनच आषाढी एकादशीला पंढरपूरच्या विठ्ठलाचे दर्शन घेण्यासाठी लाखो भाविक करत असलेली वारी ही आजच्या विज्ञान तंत्रज्ञान युगातही बहुपयोगी ठरते. जातपातधर्म, आपला सामाजिक आर्थिक स्तर या हे सगळे विसरून एकत्र येणारे वारकरी एकता, समता, बंधुता या मूल्यांचे प्रत्यक्ष दर्शन घडवतात. इतकी प्रचंड जनसंख्या असूनही सारे काही एकमेकांच्या साथीने सुरळीत पार पडते. म्हणूनच ‘Management‘ शिकणाऱ्या कॉलेज विद्यार्थ्यांना व्यवस्थापनाचे उत्तम धडे या वारीत गिरवता येतात.      

गळ्यात तुळशीमाळा आणि शिरावर तुळशीवृंदावन घेऊन जाणारे भाविक जंतुनाशक, आरोग्यदायी अशा तुळशीचे महात्म्य सांगत पर्यावरण जतनाचा संदेश देतात.

टाळ मृदंगाच्या साथीवर गोड विठ्ठलनामाचा गजर म्हणजे मनाला प्रसन्न करणारी उत्तम music therapy! विठ्ठल नामजपात सतत होणारा ‘ठ‘ चा उच्चार हृदयासाठी उत्तम व्यायाम असल्याचे शास्त्रीयदृष्ट्या सिद्ध झाले आहे.

अशाप्रकारे आषाढी एकादशीची वारी ही संस्कृती आणि विज्ञान यांची उत्तम सांगड घालणारी आणि म्हणूनच कालातीत ठरलेली अशी वैशिष्टयपूर्ण प्रथा आहे.”

Next came a musical moment that touched everyone’s hearts. The school choir, trained by our music teacher Mrs Vrushali Virkar, sang the soulful abhang ‘संत भार पंढरीत’, written by Saint Janabai. Their melodious voices filled the hall with devotion, creating an atmosphere of peace and connection.

The most awaited part of the programme was the Dindi procession. Dressed in colourful traditional attire, students turned into little Warkaris for the day. With tal and veena in hand, they danced, sang, and chanted the name of Lord Vitthal, bringing the streets of Pandharpur into our very own school corridors. There was rhythm in every step, joy on every face, and faith in every heart.

The beautiful and informative board display by our Art Teacher Ms Bina Godambe added visual charm and depth to the celebration.

Behind the scenes, a lot of planning and dedication went into making this event a success. We express our heartfelt thanks to our Headmistress Mrs Smita Biwalkar and teachers Mr Jitendra Patil and Mr Paresh Ipte, whose tireless efforts made this beautiful celebration possible.

Special thanks to all the teaching and non-teaching staff who contributed towards making this day a memorable one.

The programme ended on a sweet note with prasad distribution.

Ashadi Ekadashi at our school wasn’t just an event—it was an experience. One that reminded us of the power of tradition, the joy of devotion, and the beauty of coming together as one big family.