Mukta, Warkaris and Vari

Mukta - marathi movie starring Sonali Kulkarni, Vikram Gokhle, Shriram Lagoo (available on youtube if you are into regional movies. This one cannot be missed**! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8Z-KaJbt_8)
W(not V)arkari (वारकरी ) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varkari


I was always fascinated by the saints of Maharashtra. Dnyaneshwar in particular. Because he was so young when he wrote for the universal goodness and peace of people in his plea to god (called pasaaydaan पसायदान in marathi) and translated the Geeta for common people. To a younger me, all this seemed very cool. 
And then my impressionable mind (which is still impressionable but with different standards ;)) watched Mukta. Though the movie has a socio-political setting and talks about caste systems, growing up, what I found really fascinating in the film was how Mukta's african friend from America goes on a Vari* (वारी ) with her grandfather. 


*vari - its an annual pilgrimage the warkaris take to a town called Pandharpur, where they carry the 'paaduka' (पादुका ) of the saints to their god, viththal, incarnation of vishnu.
Interesting tale about viththal (विठ्थल ). He once went to visit his devoted follower saint Namdeo. Namdeo was busy serving his parents. So he took a brick and threw it for the god to sit on. It is said that the god waited for his devotee by standing on the brick. His idols in temple can be seen that way, still waiting for the devotee.  



In the movie that vaari, the journey is symbolic for our internal conflict between praying to a black god but not accepting people around us. It's incredibly meditating. But I am still blown away by a journey people take on foot, to meet their god. I am repeatedly told at home, that my belief in god is highly questionable as I do not do certain things. Of course, on some level, I don't care. But some time down the line the boho, wanderer in me wants to take this spiritual journey on foot. 


Today as most of the streets in the city were getting blocked and traffic diverted, to accommodate these travelers and make their journey comfortable, my mind was crowded by all these thoughts. Of course work, then actually finding time to write all this down, has taken down the intensity of what I felt.


But in the rush of day to day things, I am glad I *felt* those things. By this simple phenomenon of traffic diversion.


~nightflier


** of course now I think of it, Sonali kulkarni has a hammy accent in the movie. And also does not quite look 17-18 in few scenes. But anyway worth the watch because it is not gimmicky and uses rural india setting in the most genuine, heart warming way.
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