Maharashtra’s new Chief Minister Eknath Shinde early Sunday performed the annual ‘Mahapuja’ (worship) at the Vitthal-Rukmini temple in Pandharpur in Solapur district of Maharashtra on the auspicious occasion of ‘Ashadhi Ekadashi’.
There had been uncertainty as to whether Mr. Shinde, a senior Shiv Sena leader who recently took over as CM after his intra-party revolt toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led tripartite ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ (MVA) government, would be able to attend the official State puja as the model code of conduct for some local bodies’ elections had come into force.
However, Mr. Shinde was able to honour a time-worn political and cultural tradition after the State Election Commission (SEC) gave its nod. Mr. Shinde was accompanied by his family, including his wife Lata, and son Kalyan MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde.
With the theme woven around environmental awareness and reducing pollution, Mr. Shinde, who participated in the paryavaran wari, appealed to the public to avoid the use of polluting plastics.
“Used plastics are causing a lot of pollution. Therefore, from July 1 onwards, used plastics have been banned in the State. Saints like Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram, too, through their teachings, have conveyed the message of preserving the environment. So, we have a historical tradition of environmental awareness,” the Chief Minister said.
Despite heavy rains in Solapur, lakhs of warkaris (devotees) had been converging from various parts of the State at the Vitthal-Rukmini temple since Saturday.
In both 2020 and 2021, the temple town had witnessed muted ‘Ashadhi Ekadashi’ celebrations owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Solapur at one time being one of the worst-hit districts in terms of cases and fatalities.
Last year, with the erstwhile MVA government forced to keep restrictions in place following the lethal second wave of Covid-19, the ban on the pilgrimage on foot had sparked intense disgruntlement among heads of warkari outfits as well as ordinary devotees against the then Thackeray administration.
However, to keep up a long-standing tradition, the MVA administration had allowed the padukas (footprints) of the saints Tukaram and Dnyaneshwar from Dehu and Alandi (in Pune) to be transported by road in special State transport buses.
The Chief Minister’s annual worship at the Vitthal-Rukmini temple has run into stormy waters in the past. In 2018, following the hostile pitch of the quota agitation by Maratha outfits, then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was forced to cancel the event despite him performing the puja in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
