With all major religious congregations being cancelled to stem the spread of COVID-19, the district administration of Solapur in Maharashtra has decided to ban the entry of inter-State devotees to participate in the Kartiki Shuddha Ekadasi festivities, popularly known as Kartiki Vari, scheduled at Pandharpur between November 21 and December 1.
Collector and District Magistrate of Solapur Milind Shambharkar, in a release on Monday, stated that devotees from neighbouring States, including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, visit Pandharpur during the 10-day-long auspicious event. However, this year, this is strictly banned. The district is also imposing curfew under Section 144 of Cr.PC from November 24 till midnight on November 26.
Due to the widespread incidence of COVID-19 in the State, the Maharashtra government has decided not to hold Kartiki Vari this year. Every year, around 5 lakh to 6 lakh devotees come in groups called Dandis and Palkhis.
However, this year, the temple authorities would perform the traditions of Kartiki Vari in a very limited manner in the presence of a few dignitaries and temple authorities. The government has banned the entry of Dandis and Palkhis into Pandharpur.
