Last two three days everybody has been talking about Palakhi (palanquins of saints) going through Pune but I had completely forgotten that today, as I walked towards Lakshmi road. I have been in the city during this time after 15 years or so. I stopped in my tracks to look closely at a beautiful nosering one of the vaarkari (pilgrims walking to Pandharpur) women was wearing. A group of them was sitting around chit-chatting after a day long walk. Some people sitting in the truck that travelled with their belongings, some sitting on the road with no care in the world.

I asked if I could take a close up of her face, and another woman in the group enthusiastically gave permission. Meerabai was confused but agreed at the end, rearranged her Padar on her head and was ready for the photo op.

I sat down for a bit to take a group photo and exchange a few words. The group was from Beed. They were planning to walk all the way to Pandharpur. The whole endeavour from home and back was going to take a month. Meerabai talked about how her feet hurt now that she was half way in the journey. Her Tulshivrundavan (Holy basil plant in a decorative pot) was safely kept inside the tempo, and she was too tired to take it out for a photo op. I wasn’t looking for the typical Vari photos anyways, so I just sat down for a bit.

The other two ladies Anasuya and Godabai were enthusiastic about their ‘Ekla’ (solo) photo as well. Then the oldest of the bunch, Sudhamati, insisted that she wanted to see all the photos. The phone made a round. Everybody happy with the outcome. Grandma especially liked Meerabai’s closeup. We sat for a few more moments chit-chatting and it was time for me to be on my way.
I wish I had more time to just sit around talk about life, the motivation to travel for days on foot away from their families, experiences on the way, and may be sit and sing a bhajan or two.