Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the annual Pandharpur ‘wari’ or pilgrimage in Maharashtra is a symbol of social harmony, equal opportunity and power of women who take part in the event along with male devotees.

Women and men walk side by side during the pilgrimage to the temple town Pandharpur in Solapur District, he said after laying the foundation stone for four-laning of five sections of Shri Sant Dnyaneshawar Maharaj Palkhi Marg (NH-965) and three sections of Shri Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi Marg (NH-965G) via video conferencing.

”The special feature of the warkari movement is that women also take part in the wari and walk side by side with their male counterparts. This is the symbol of women and mother power. The wari is also a symbol of social harmony and gender equality as its motto is ‘discrimination is evil’. This motto of social harmony also has gender equality embedded in it,” said Modi.

The wari is a pilgrimage undertaken by devotees of Lord Vitthal to his temple in Pandharpur. Palanquins (palkhis) venerating Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram are carried to Pandharpur from Alandi and Dehu in Pune district by the warkaris, who cover the 250km distance by foot.

He said all warkaris (devotees), be it men or women, call each other ‘mauli’. ”By calling each other ‘mauli’ (mother), they actually see Sant Dnyaneshwar and Lord Vitthal in each other. Everyone knows the meaning of mauli is mother so the wari eulogises the mother’s power also,” the PM said.

Likening the Pandharpur pilgrimage to his government’s ‘sabka saath sabka vikas’ (everyone’s support and everyone development) mantra, Modi said in the wari there is no discrimination.

”All are guru brothers and guru sisters of each other. Everyone has one ‘gotra’ that is Vitthal gotra. When I say sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, wari tradition is the real inspiration behind that statement,” he said.

The PM said sentiments possessed by the warkaris inspire everyone to work for development of the nation.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)