At Pandharpur temple, Devendra Fadnavis prays for abundant rains

Devendra Fadnavis and the members of his Maharashtra government have been trying to show that this is a government and chief minister with a difference; yet, on Monday, Fadnavis followed in the footsteps of almost all his predecessors and prayed to Lord Vitthala for bestowing good rains upon Maharashtra.

It was a farmer couple from Pimpri Khurd in Kalamnuri Taluka of Hingoli district who performed Mahapooja at Pandharpur temple, along with chief minister Fadnavis and his wife Amruta. Raghoji Narayanrao Dhande and his wife Sangeeta were selected to perform Mahapooja on behalf of lakhs of pilgrims and people of the state. The Dhandes have been participating in the pilgrimage for the past 16 years.

This year, too, there were over a million pilgrims at Pandharpur to celebrate Ashadhi Ekadashi, which marks the culmination of the Pandharpur pilgrimage, in which lakhs of devotees walk on foot from Alandi and Dehu to Pandharpur to seek the blessings of Lord Vitthala.

Fadnavis said that it was a day of blessings for him because he was performing the Mahapooja on behalf of the government and people of the state. He said that what he sought from the deity was good rains on the behalf of farmers of the state; the state would be happy only if the farmers were happy.

He said that the government would chalk out a time-bound programme for developing Pandharpur. Revenue minister Eknath Khadse and his wife, chief secretary Swadheen Kshatriya and his wife, and district collector Tukaram Mundhe were also present at the Mahapooja.