INTRODUCTION
WARI a pilgrimage undertaken from Dehu and Alandi to Pandharpur in the lionheart of Maharashtra, a walkathon blessed with proactive participation for self-management to enhance one’s spiritual quotient and enjoy eternal joy and bliss.
“Warkari” as the word expresses is the one who does the Wari.(Walkathkon) Warkari is a person who walks from his home to Alandi and Dehu chanting, the name of Saint Dynaeshwar and Saint Tukaram. The walkathon of self-management begins well in advance and ends on the auspicious day of Aashadi Ekadashi of the pilgrimage. WARKARI is a person, who surrenders and submits himself to Lord Vitthal or Vithoba completely through his speech and soul. “A deep-ocean of faith, which is a congregation of Warkaris’ ( a pilgrim who participates in the Wari) which has only one colour of faith, spirituality, and happiness all over. Every year on the eleventh day of the bright moon in the month of Aashaadh, a sea of devotees leave behind their luxuries, walkthrough highs, and lows only to catch a glimpse of their Lord Vitthal.
Millions of ‘Warkaris’ chant the divine name and end the month-long journey, by walk, at Pandharpur, the abode of Lord Vitthal and his consort, Rukmini. The Wari tradition has been unbroken and followed with utmost faith for the past 800 years.
WARI AND MANAGEMENT LEARNING
The age-old tradition of Wari has continued for the last one thousand years alone is what grants it a unique status in the lives of many Warkaris and people. WARI excellently weaves the lessons on management. The 20-day journey is broken into small milestones. Every WARKARI walks only certain miles throughout the day. The entire WARI has a pre-planned schedule on halts for this 20-day journey. The Warkari prepares his inner self and gathers the will power for himself. Wari the point of immersion of the soul into the bhakti of the lord.
Self-Management – Proactive acceptance of the walkathon, prepares the Mind for mindfulness living, Physical fitness – prepares the body fitness, along with self-discipline for the long journey is the first lesson that is crafted by this pilgrimage.
Any task to be taken in the management world also requires mental toughness and physical fitness with a mission to achieve which is then combined with qualities of planning organizing and coordination. In management, it’s important to set a plan schedule and achieve the task and complete it with excellence. This excellence is then integrated by balancing professional, social, and personal life.
VISION – Wari gives a clearly crafted vision of achieving Self-actualization and oneness with the supreme power. The habit of beginning with the end in the mind for the future nurtures one’s ability to see beyond the laid down path.
Self Management has no AGE – LIMIT – During Wari, the Warkaris walk long distances daily on foot, stopping only during predetermined rest periods. It is a wonder how they manage to walk so much, for not all Warkaris are young. There are many children too along with women. Major proportion of the Warkaris compromise of people who are over 50 years of age, displaying an attitude and energy that would put even a young man of 25 to an awkard stance. This proactive participation adds to the joy of experiencing Wari. It also has the family tradition which brings many under this umbrella of Wari. This long walkathon is broken into small miles to be covered which let’s all of us know our mission and vision has to be broken down into small time bound parts. There has to be perseverance and strong will which would fuel the motivation and energy for a Warkari.
VALUE BASED LEADERSHIP PRACTISES -The Warkaris in this pilgrimage are truly empowered leaders who through their experiences and power of faith give lessons to the new generation for achieving private victory and humility. The mission and vision along with values and morals are quickly passed to the new generation to carry the bastion of WARI. There are hymns, songs and bhajans and keertans and recitation of HARI-PATH which gives the lessons to learn the life which acts as feeder for mindfulness living.
WARI through Maslow’s Need hierarchy Theory
The first basic need of Maslow’s hierarchy gets satisfied in the pilgrimage through food, clothing, and shelter which is complete. The pilgrimage becomes a mobile town through the caravans which carry basic necessities of food supply and medication. The entire WARI is like a mobile town which rests at sunset and is wide awake and ready to move for the next day. The second need of Maslow which is of safety is taken care of by officially registering for the WARI by the WARKARIS. There is the concept of DINDI which looks after few thousand or lakh of people from the same village and community. The third need of Belongingness gets satisfied here completely where people from different castes, creed, religions, and cultures get connected with each through the spiritual thread. The fourth need for esteem comes very vividly through the unique feature of WARI is salutations to each other’s soul by touching the feet and bowing to each other. This is the purest and truest form of respect that connects one soul to another and makes one more self-disciplined. Its relinquishing one’s self and getting submerged into the sea of faith and bhakti yog. Respecting each other by saluting the soul of one another is a big lesson to be learned for us in corporate world. The fifth need for Self Actualisation gets covered when the Warkari emphasizes self-introspection and a new dimension to look at life beyond. It’s an experience to live and let live by inclusion in exclusion through collaboration.
Public Victory of Wari essentially happens for every single Warkari as he creates a circle of opportunities to sustain, survive by not compromising on planet, people and profit
A small unit of the organization Wari is known as Dindi – a group of a few dozen to thousand men and women from the same village.
It’s a huge sea of people who are self-disciplined, accountable, and responsible for each other. The wari creates economic prosperity of the Waris by giving them a chance to offer services to the community and thereby give them self independence. We would find cobblers for thousands of walkers, barbers, sellers selling pain balms, and people through the creativity charging your mobile phones through car batteries. This service is of immense importance to convey your loved ones in the time of crisis. Walkathon which converges at Lord Vithobha’s temple weaving a lot of management lessons to the corporate world. This pilgrimage is experienced by people through their own lens.
To complete the circle of life lets live together with the wonderful journey of WARI which signs of at the feet of lord Vithal and Devi Rukhmini through our hearts this year.
Song credit – Ajay Atul
Picture Credit – Unknown
Ashadi Ekadasi, also known as Maha Ekadasi, Padma Ekadasi and Devpodhi Ekadasi is observed on the 11th lunar day of Indian month, Ashadi.
Ashadi is the month monsoons have completely drenched the country. Ashadi Ekadasi is an occasion to thank the Divinities, for the rains, and the prosperity that it has brought.
Lord Vishnu goes into Yoganidra
This day is especially significant to the Vaishnava community, as Lord Vishnu enters into Yoganidra on this day, at the Ksheer Sagara, Ocean of Milk. This Ekadasi is also known as Shayana Ekadasi. The next four months are known as Chatur Masya, and Lord Vishnu awakens from His Yoganidra on Prabodini Ekadashi, 4 months later.
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