The Central Railway (CR) announced on Tuesday the operation of 64 special trains for Ashadhi Ekadashi, which will be celebrated on July 17 this year.
“To facilitate devotees traveling for Ashadi Ekadashi, 64 special trains will be operated,” Central Railway announced on X. Devotees can visit the railway enquiry website for detailed information and schedules.
Each year, lakhs of devotees from across Maharashtra undertake a pilgrimage to Pandharpur in Solapur district, chanting hymns of Saint Dnyaneshwar and Saint Tukaram, to visit the temple of Lord Vitthal on Ashadhi Ekadashi.
On July 3, the Maharashtra government announced a toll exemption for vehicles carrying devotees to Pandharpur. The toll waiver, applicable from July 3 to July 21, exempts light and heavy vehicles transporting pilgrims from paying toll. Such vehicles will be issued stickers and passes. Authorities have been instructed to maintain highway security patrols near toll booths and to repair roads and highways leading to Pandharpur, including the Sion-Panvel highway, Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Mumbai-Bangalore national highway, Pune-Solapur, and Pune-Satara-Solapur highways.
The ‘palkhis’ of Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar will arrive at Pandharpur’s Lord Vithoba temple on July 17, as part of the ‘wari,’ a pilgrimage on foot involving thousands of devotees.
