a day ago
Walking with the Constitution: BARTI's Sanvidhan Dindi brings Ambedkar's vision to the Wari
As the spiritual fervour of the Pandharpur Wari sweeps through Maharashtra, one distinct procession quietly but powerfully walks alongside BARTI's Sanvidhan Dindi, a march that carries the spirit of the Constitution.
Organised by the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI), the Sanvidhan Dindi has now become a tradition for nearly a decade. What started as a small initiative to remind people of the ideals of the Indian Constitution, liberty, equality, and fraternity, has grown into a powerful movement within the Wari.
'We are trying to promote liberty, equality, and fraternity, because that was the real reason behind the Wari itself,' says Sheetal Bandgar, Project Officer at BARTI. 'This was the same vision that both Tukaram Maharaj and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had of an equal, inclusive, and awakened society.'
Each year, 10 to 12 BARTI staff members walk the full stretch from Alandi to Pandharpur, but the impact is far greater. Thousands of Warkaris inspired by the Dindi's message join the group, read from the Constitution, and participate in awareness activities held along the way.
Banners bearing excerpts from the Preamble, quotes by Dr Ambedkar, and discussions on fundamental rights and duties are all part of the Dindi's unique setup. Booklets are distributed, street plays are performed, and readings of the Constitution are done under makeshift tents, right on the dusty paths of the Wari.
One such inspired participant is Rutuja Jagtap, a 19-year-old Warkari from Nashik, who joined the Dindi with her grandmother.
'This is one of the most meaningful things I've seen in the entire Wari,' she says. 'I came here for devotion, but I found awareness. It's a perfect blend of bhakti and samajik jagrukta (social consciousness).'
For the youth walking in the Wari, the Sanvidhan Dindi becomes an unexpected classroom, one where the Constitution meets the collective consciousness, and faith walks hand in hand with responsibility.
As lakhs of pilgrims make their way to Pandharpur in search of spiritual fulfillment, the Sanvidhan Dindi reminds them that social justice and equality are just as sacred.
It's not just a walk for God, it's a walk for a better, more just India.
