MARATHI FESTIVAL

       गणपति बाप्पा मोरया
Ganesha Chaturthi (Devanagari: गणेश चतुर्थी), also known as Vinayaga Chaturthi  is the Hindu festival of Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival. It is the birthday of Ganesha who is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune.
The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). The date usually falls between 20 August and 22 September. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the waxing moon period).
While celebrated all over India, it is most elaborate in western and southern India. Outside India, it is celebrated widely in Nepal and by Hindus in the United States, Canada and Fiji.

                                                 विठू माजा लेकुरवाला

The PANDHARPUR….PANDHARPUR’s VITTHAL is undoubtedly the premier deity of Maharashtra. We used to go there during ‘vaari’. (it is a great march towards pandhrpur from deferent parts of Maharshtra is called ‘VAARI’ and people in that march called ‘VAARKARI’. and that culture is ‘VAARKARI SAMPRDAY’ ). And it is a great tradition of Maharashtra over 1000 years. We manage a meal to that people once in a year during vaari since last 8 years. And we feel very glad about that and during that meal atmosphere is sensational.
It is, perhaps, the greatest centre of attraction for the masses as far as the spiritual field goes. The enormity of the influence Vitthal and the Varkari Sampradava have exercised over the life of the Marathi people becomes obvious even from cursory glimpses of some of the very broad aspects of our cultural life. A great mass of Marathi literature of the pre British period is devoted to the praise and prayer of Vithoba and the propagation of the Varkariculter. Perhaps more important and significant is the fact that some of the most enlightened minds of Maharashtra have merged themselves completely in the devotion Vitthal. sect has attracted for the last thousand years people belonging to various castes and communities, from various professions and callings, from the learned and from the uninitiated. since lakh’s of people used to come Pandharpur still their management is as good as howards or any British US management school have. So that now they are studying on this vaari. Because STILL NOW FROM THERE NOT SINGLE NEWS OF ACCIDENT LIKE STAMPEDE OR FIRE!!!!!! (This is absolutely Mind blowing thing!) as these things or so usual in other yatra’s. this is called management at it’s best!!!!.

Hats off to Vaari and Vaarkari…
VITHHAL VITHHAL VITHHALAA HARE RAAM VITHHALA….