Pune: Carrying the powerful message of environmental conservation and the sacred message of spirituality, the ‘Vasundhara padayatra’ began its journey towards Shreekshetra Naneejdham, inspired by Jagadguru Shrimad Ramanandacharya Narendraacharyaji.Several devotees participated in the environmental awareness campaign in a devotional and enthusiastic atmosphere, in the sacred presence of Siddha Padukas, said the organisers.The padayatra has been organised by Main Peeth, Naneejdham, West Maharashtra, Pune. The palkhi and procession commenced after the traditional worship of the Padukas by Sanjay Gadekar, head of the Peeth; Praveen Thakur, chairman and spokesperson of the Vasundhara padayatra administration; and Kamalakar Hazare, joint head of the Peeth. padayatra chief Vijay Angre and manager Vinayak Naik were also present on the occasion.Praveen Thakur said, “Five processions have commenced from Nagpur, Nashik, Pune, Parbhani and Mumbai in Maharashtra, while two more have started from Telangana and Goa, taking the total to seven. Approximately 650 devotees are participating in the procession that has started from Pune. They will cover a distance of 350 kilometres from Pune to Naneejdham in 16 days. Tree plantation drives will be conducted at four locations every day during the journey. All the processions will converge at Naneejdham on October 21.”He further said that Oct 21 marks the birth anniversary of Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Narendraacharyaji. Various spiritual programmes, including bhajans, kirtans and Mahaprasad, have been organised at the ashram in Naneejdham to mark the occasion.Sanjay Gadekar said that this is the fourth year of the ‘Vasundhara padayatra’. Unlike a conventional religious procession, this initiative aims to spread awareness about environmental conservation. The procession, accompanied by devotees in outfits carrying messages about preventing global warming and planting trees, is proceeding in the sacred presence of the Siddha Padukas, with placards highlighting environmental concerns.“In recent years, we have been facing several challenges, including rising temperatures, unseasonal rainfall, excessive rainfall and the need to clean rivers and streams. The primary objective of this padayatra is to create awareness about these issues. Devotees participating in the procession will walk approximately 25 kilometres every day,” Gadekar said.Kamalakar Hazare said that comprehensive arrangements have been made for the devotees, including food, drinking water, accommodation and medical facilities. The first halt of the procession will be at Karvenagar today. From there, the padayatra will proceed via Rajaram Bridge, Sinhagad Road, Swargate and Hadapsar before continuing towards Saswad.He also highlighted the social initiatives undertaken by Jagadguru Narendraacharya Maharaj Sansthan. The organisation runs an English-medium school and a Vedic school in Ratnagiri, both of which provide education entirely free of cost. It also conducts blood donation camps and provides healthcare services, including ambulance facilities. In addition, various public welfare initiatives are undertaken across Maharashtra throughout the year.
