Panduranga

Published on 7th July, 2019, in Mumbai Mirror Declaration of faith is part of many religions. It means publicly stating one’s belief. In Judaism, which is the oldest Abrahamic faith, it is a reiteration of monotheism, the ‘Shema’. In Christianity, it means making the sign of the cross to show one accepts Jesus, who was crucified, is the saviour. In Islam, it is the ‘Shahada’, or stating repeatedly that there is only one true god and that is Allah. In Buddhism, the declaration clarifies one surrenders to the awakened one, his teachings and his congregation – Buddham sharanam gacchami, Dhammam sharanam gacchami, Sangham sharanam gacchami. ..

Published on 20th March, 2016, in the Mumbai Mirror. Pandharpur is the centre of a bhakti movement that began over eight centuries ago, and gave birth to Marathi literature. For centuries, every year, just before the rains, thousands of pilgrims known as Varkari, followers of Haripath (path of God who is Krishna-Vishnu) travel long distances from rural Maharashtra and Karnataka to Pandharpur. Known as Dindi, this pilgrimage is a sight to behold, with long lines of fluttering flags against the summer sky, majestic flower-bedecked bullock carts and palanquins, men dressed in white, anointed with sandal paste, wearing strings of tulsi beads, carrying lutes and cymbals, ..