10 July,2026 11:34 PM IST | Pune | Sanjeev Shivadekar
CM Fadnavis was welcomed and felicitated by members of the temple committee. Pic/Special Arrangement
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the Palkhi Vitthal Temple in Bhavani Peth, Pune, on Thursday as part of the Ashadhi Wari celebrations. During his visit, he offered prayers before the sacred padukas (holy sandals) of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and performed the traditional palkhi puja at the temple.
The Chief Minister was welcomed and felicitated by members of the temple committee. He extended his best wishes to the thousands of Warkaris who are travelling with the palkhi to Pandharpur for the annual Ashadhi pilgrimage.
Several dignitaries attended the event, including Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, Mayor Manjusha Nagpure, Minister of State Madhuri Misal, MLA Hemant Rasane, Divisional Commissioner Sheetal Teli-Ugale, District Collector Jitendra Dudi, and trustees of the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and Palkhi Vitthal Temple institutions.
Earlier in the day, the palkhi of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj arrived at the Palkhi Vitthal Temple amid a deeply devotional atmosphere. Thousands of devotees and Warkaris welcomed the procession with chants of "Vitthal Naam" and "Dnyanoba Tukaram", accompanied by the rhythmic beats of traditional taal and mridang instruments.
The arrival of the palkhi marked another significant moment in the Ashadhi Wari pilgrimage, one of Maharashtra's largest and most revered annual religious traditions.
