Pandharpur is the place of Vitthurai, the most revered deity in Maharashtra, and the place of worship of crores of Warkaris. Pandharpur has a long history of spiritual tradition, spanning nearly 800 years. To preserve this heritage for years to come, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has decided to launch the ‘Pandharpur Corridor’ development project to modernize the pilgrimage, considering the potential crowding in the next 50 years through this corridor.
Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Temple in Pandharpur is a place of worship for crores of Warkaris. The throng of lakhs of devotees here on the Ekadashis every month and on the special days of Kartiki Ekadashi, Chaitra Ekadashi, Ashadhi, and Maghi Ekadashi has become a part of Pandharpur’s social and cultural identity. However, the problem is that the pilgrimage town remained in its age-old state with narrow lanes, unplanned structures and shops, and civic facilities grossly inadequate to meet the flood of devotees throughout the year. Indeed, the temple and local administration have so far managed the crowd without any incident of major mishap, however, the increasing pressure is taking a toll on the infrastructure of the town and affecting the lives of the inhabitants. Keeping all these issues in mind, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has prepared the Pandharpur Pilgrimage Development Plan (Pandharpur Corridor) on the lines of the Kashi Vishweshwar Temple in Varanasi, which will see a complete revamp of the entire area including the Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Temple.
‘Vitthal’ and ‘Pandharpur’ at the center of development
The Pandharpur Corridor will be more than just another infrastructure project, in the sense that it will take into account faith, convenience, and aesthetics appropriate with the tradition and culture of this area to improve the devotees’ experience. Although centered around the renovation of the Vitthal-Rukmini Temple premises and enhancing the darshan experience of the pilgrims by building a darshan pavilion, the Pandharpur Corridor Development Plan will include numerous other things, such as widening roads, relocating shops, building skywalks and ghats to avoid roads getting overcrowded. The renovation of the temple premises will be done to give it a new look, consistent with its tradition, and all modern facilities. Strict observation will be made that during the project work, no disruption occurs to the faith and devotion of the Warkaris.
The Pandharpur Corridor development plan will not be limited to the temple premises and its approaches. The first place to welcome the devotees coming to the temple will be the Pandharpur town. Therefore, the development plan will provide a thorough makeover for the Pandharpur town, which will include modern parking spaces, underground sewerage scheme, adequate water supply, sufficient toilet arrangements, beautiful gardens, and a helipad arrangement for devotees coming from abroad or other parts of the country, fire stations, trauma care centers, radio centers, Warkari shelter centers, santpeeths, and palanquin bases to control crowd and disaster situations during the annual Wari, which will give a new dimension to the development of the city. After the completion of this project, along with religious tourism, the Pandharpur town will see a surge in recreational tourism as well, to further boost the local economy with thousands of new job creations.
80% property owners positively responded
Implementing the Pandharpur Corridor will require the demolition and rehabilitation of 642 houses and shops in the temple area. The Solapur administration has surveyed these properties, and to date, consent has been obtained from 510 property owners, making it 80% approval for the corridor project, as the authority has promised a fairly good rehabilitation package for the affected property owners. After this survey, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has given the ‘go-ahead’ to the Solapur district administration to carry out the work on the Pandharpur Corridor Plan. As per the chief minister’s communique, the work will begin in the next 3 months, and the restoration work of the Vitthal-Rukmini temple will be completed before Ashadhi Ekadashi.
The Pandharpur Corridor is going to be a project that will be consistent with the heritage and carry the essence of devotion and tradition. Its implementation will attract even more devotees to Pandharpur, making it a major center of religious tourism in Maharashtra.