Devotees, including women and children, in large numbers were seen walking barefoot with the commencement of Pandaripur Maha Padayatra at Narayankhed on Thursday.
About 200 devotees began their long journey from here to take part in the jatara to be held in Maharashtra. Pooja was performed at a temple located in the town in the morning. Pandaripur is about 350 km from Narayankhed and those who have taken up the journey are expected to walk between 30 and 35 km a day. A mini-lorry carrying necessary material, including food, will accompany them.
As the devotees cross many villages on the way to Pandaripur, many would join them in the yatra and the number is expected to touch 15,000. The number of devotees participating in the padayatra might influence the outcome of the elections in Naryanakhed.
People from not just Telangana but Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka would arrive at Pandaripur to participate in the celebrations.
The jatara at Pandaripur in Maharashtra would commence on Magha Shuddha Sashti (the seventh day of the first fifteen days in the 11th month of Indian almanac) that falls on February 13, the polling day for by-elections at Narayanakhed.
The jatara would conclude on February 18 by which time the results of the by-election would be out. Sri Karan Gajendra Bharati Maharaj, the guru for Panduranga Vithala devotees at Narayanakhed, has been running an ashram at Antargam in Kalher mandal for the past several years.
“Some of the leaders from various political parties tried to convince Sri Gajendra Bharati to postpone the padayatra, but in vain,” said Suresh, a resident of Narayanakhed.
