Chief Minister Eknath Shinde performs MahaPooja of Sri Vitthal-Rukmini to mark Ashadhi Ekadashi
Pandharpur :– Chief Minister Eknath Shinde today performed Mahapooja to mark Ashadhi Ekadashi at Pandharpur with a prayer to Lord Vitthal. He prayed Lord Vitthal to bring good Monsoon to sate along with happy days for the farmers in the State. Praying Lord to make the State prosperous, he prayed Lord Vihal for happiness and satisfaction of every element of society including farmers, workers, peasants and annual pilgrims who visit Pandharpur during the annual pilgrimage.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde along with his wife Lata Shinde as well as couple selected to perform Pooja along with him Bhausaheb Mohiniraj Kale and his wife Mangal Bhausaheb Kale performed MahaPooja of Vitthal and Rukmini deities. He was speaking after felicitating the Kale couple on behalf of Sri Vitthal Rukmini Mandir committee. 
Minister for Revenue, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Guardian Minister for Solapur Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Minister for Health Tanaji Savant, Rural Development and Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan, Minister for Ports and Mines Dadaji Bhuse, Minister for School Education Deepak Kesarkar, the Temple Committee joint chairman Gahininath Maharaj Ausekar and others were present.
Pointing out that lakhs of devotees have arrived in Pandharpur to seek Lord Vitthal’s Darshan by participating in the annual pilgrimage, Chief Minister Shinde said that entire Pandharpur and adjoining areas are filled with Vitthal essence. Stating tha the State Government has given highest priority to health of these pilgrims and mega-health camps have been organized at three places. He said that providing health services to these pilgrims was nothing but worshipping Lord Vitthal. He said that this year, the annual pilgrimage was much cleaner and the administration after the directions from the sate Government has made available necessary amenities and facilities by planning in best possible manner. He said that during the Mahapooja performed by him facility of availing Mukh-Darshan was kept going on in the queue so that the annual pilgrims who wanted to seek Mukh-Darshan of the deity were not deprived of it due to official Government Pooja.
Recalling that in last one year, the state Government has taken various welfare decisions to provide a relief to common man, Shinde said that through renewal mission, Rs. 108 crores were given to Pandharpur city council works and Rs. 109 crores were provided for the water supply scheme within Pandharpur city. He said that Rs. 73 crore funding is made available for Temple area development plan and Pandharpur city development plan would be prepared by taking every section in confidence. He assured that he 30 bed hospital would be converted in to 100-bed hospital. Stating that he was performing MahaPooja for the second consecutive year he expressed the feeling hat he was fortunate to do so.
The Kale couple from Ahmednagar district became revered couple to perform MahaPooja
Every year a couple who participates in annual pilgrimage on foot is selected for performing MahaPooja along with the chief minister and his wife. This year, Bhausaheb Mohiniraj Kale (age 56 years) and his wife Mangal Bhausaheb Kale (age 52 years), who are a farmer family from Post Wakadi, Taluka Nevasa in Ahmednagar district received this honour. The Kale couple is coming to Pandharpur on foot for last 25 years with Bhaskar Griri Maharaj right from Devgad. MSRTC gives one-year free journey pass to the revered couple which receives MahaPooja respect and this pass was handed over to Kale couple by Chief Minister Shinde.
MP Dr Shrikant Shinde, Pratap Jadhav, MLA Samadhan Autade, Bharat Gogawale, Mangesh Chavan, Babanrao Pachpute, district collector Milind Shambharkar, Kolhapur range IG Sunil Fulari, Zilla Parishad CEO Dilip Swamy, district SP Shirish Sardeshpande were present.
Nirmal Dindi award distribution
There are many Dindis (group of Warkaris or annual pilgrims which bear particular names and reach Pandharpur on foot) that perform the task of social awakening in many ways while walking on foot to Pandharpur. Taking a cue from these Dindis, Sri Vitthal Rukmini Temple Committee gives Sri Vitthal Nirmal Dindi award so that participation of citizens is increased in the initiative of Nirmal Dindi, Harit Dindi which is Clean Dindi, Green Dindi. Chief minister Shinde gave away these awards. The first award of Rs. One lakh was given to Sri Tarkeshwar Gad Dindi Taluka Ashti, District Beed (Memento and Rs. 1 lakh), the second award was given to Nandedkar Mandali Dindi Taluka Haveli District Pune (Mememnto and Rs. 75,000) while third award was given to Sri Eknath Maharaj Warkari Shiskan Sanstha Yashwannagar, Paithan District Aurangabad (Memento and Rs. 50 thousand).
A book of photographs of Wari titled Bhu-Vaikunth and Aarogyadoot booklet was released by dignitaries. Sri. Ausekar Maharaj gave opening remarks.
