वारकरी येता घरी , तोची दसरा आणि दिवाळी

Its Waari time...time when lakhs of devotees take a one month long 200km walk to Pandharpur , chanting devotional songs , to meet thier god Vithal....The city is full of warkaris everywhere....Temples are full with warkaris sleeping there to spend the night  before they start the walk again next day. People too contribute by calling them to their houses to spend night , offer them lunch , dinner , snacks .Its considered auspicious to offer service to the one who are on a month long pilgrimages. I had this previlege today. Could manage to convince some of them to come to my house for snacks. I am staying alone , so couldnt invite for lunch or dinner ..but thought I could atleast offer them snacks.Even though having slept at 2:30 yesterday night , woke up at 5:30 again in the morning(dont know when was the last time I woke at that time :) ) . Why so early , warkaris are the very punctual in thier timings and start early morning at about 7am .   ....So early morning got stuff to make pohe, tea...then went to warkaris who were staying in  someone's bunglow nearby , and got them home...Made nice pohe and tea for them ...All the while they were talking on devotional topics...Felt like bliss....Waking up early at 5:30am , them cleaning the house , talking bath , going out, hearing religious talks  felt like it was diwali ...It Indeed was, as someone has said वारकरी येता घरी ,  तोची दसरा आणि दिवाळी..
                                                                                                                     Jai Jai Ram Krishna Hari

Harley day

Getting close to harley and feeling it was a dream and it came true not in the USA but in our very own pune .The event was organised by a builder trying to sell a flat worth crore to me. The prequisite was to have a look at their demo flat and then you get to drive a harley. Who would lose such a oppurtunity. There were about 7-8 different harleys lined up , with prices ranging from 5 lakhs to about 25 lakhs. Have seen harleys in US earlier, but never got to feel it so closely , forget driving it. The sheer power of the machines makes you crazy .Its amazing muscles , the sound of its firing all were magical...One has to feel harley to understand its value. There was one harley with a boombox in it , the music from it was so loud that I quipped that one doesnt need a DJ if we have this. No one was willing to leave the site and the organisers had to take the bikes away so that people would leave. On our way back, the desi versions like Enfields,the bajaj Avengers looked like cycles and the regular bikes looked like kid toys. Whole day i could feel the power and sounds in my hears and the experience of harley lingered on...wish it comes to my home one day :)

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