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| Varkari | |
|---|---|
| Name | Varkari |
| Main classification | Bhakti movement |
| Scripture | Abhangs |
| Language | Marathi |
| Founder | Namdev; Jñāneśvar |
| Founded in | 13th century |
| Founded place | Paithan |
| Regions | Maharashtra |
Varkari is a devotional tradition centered in Maharashtra associated with bhakti devotion to Vithoba and characterized by congregational singing, pilgrimage, and a devotional corpus of abhangs and ovis. The movement traces roots to medieval saints and produced influential poets, reformers, and communal institutions that impacted regional culture, literature, and social reform during the medieval and modern periods. Varkari practice influenced and interacted with figures and institutions across South Asia, shaping Marathi identity and devotional practice.
The tradition emerged during the medieval period alongside figures such as Namdev, Jñāneśvar, Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram, and Eknath and developed within the sociopolitical context of the Yadava dynasty, Delhi Sultanate, and later the Maratha Empire. Early cultivators drew on the devotional currents of Ramanuja and Madhva while responding to contemporaries like Kabir, Guru Nanak, and Basava. Patronage and resistance occurred under rulers including the Yadavas of Devagiri, the Bahmani Sultanate, and the Mughal Empire; reform and preservation were advanced by institutions such as the Bhakti movement networks, Vishnu-centered mathas, and regional shrines like Pandharpur. Colonial encounters with the British Raj and modern figures like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, and B.R. Ambedkar affected caste dynamics and public practice, while social movements such as the Satyashodhak Samaj and organizations like the Arya Samaj provided contested frameworks for reform.
Devotion centers on Vithoba as a form of Vishnu/Krishna with theology drawing on Bhakti movement doctrines and devotional texts like the Bhagavata Purana, Bhagavad Gita, and regional exegesis by Namdev and Tukaram. The tradition emphasizes nirguna and saguna devotion, influenced by theologians such as Ramanuja and counterpoints in the works of Madhva and Shankaracharya. Concepts of grace (kripa) and personal relationship (bhava) are expressed in abhangs and commentaries by scholars linked to institutions like Ashtavinayak temples, Pandharpur priesthood, and lay saints associated with Warkari congregations. Ethical precepts echo injunctions found in texts studied by contemporaries such as Jñāneśvar and critics like Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil.
Regular practices include singing abhangs and kirtans attributed to Namdev, Tukaram, Eknath, and Jnaneshwar, daily worship at shrines such as Pandharpur and observance of festivals like Ashadhi Ekadashi and Kartiki Ekadashi. Devotional music features instruments associated with performers linked to traditions like Marathi Lavani, Bhajan ensembles, and performers from lineages connected to Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Namdev. Ritual acts involve community meals reflecting patterns seen in Sant tradition assemblies, pilgrim registration akin to practices at Kumbh Mela and shrine maintenance that parallels custodial roles in institutions such as mathas and sabhās. Lifecycle rites often integrate regional ceremonies practiced in villages under the influence of families historically allied to patrons like the Deshmukh and Patil offices.
Annual pilgrimages to Pandharpur on Ashadhi Ekadashi and Kartiki Ekadashi draw vast kirtankar contingents, reminiscent of mass mobilizations like the Rath Yatra and coordinated routes comparable to medieval processions tied to the Deccan region. Vari routes traverse towns including Pune, Paithan, Sangamner, Solapur, Satara, Ahmednagar, Kolhapur, Nashik, and Aurangabad, with logistical roles historically undertaken by local bodies akin to guilds and merchant associations such as those recorded in Maratha administrative records. Festivals feature songs by poet-saints including Namdev, Dnyaneshwar, and Tukaram, and are attended by devotees across social strata and communities historically connected to movements like Dalit reform efforts and peasant mobilizations similar to episodes in Deccan agrarian history.
The saint-poets include Namdev, Jñāneśvar, Tukaram, Eknath, Sopan, Chokhamela, Gora Kumbhar, Muktabai, and Nivruttinath, whose abhangs, ovis, and spiritual poems form a corpus comparable to works like the Gita Govinda and the vernacular translations by Tukaram that paralleled efforts by Kabir and Guru Nanak. Hagiographies and commentaries were compiled by scribes and scholars linked to centers such as Pandharpur and printed editions proliferated during the printing press era influenced by publishers in Mumbai, Pune, and Poona intellectual circles. Manuscript traditions intersect with philological studies at institutions like Deccan College, University of Pune, and archives maintained by bodies similar to the Asiatic Society.
Communal institutions include temple trusts, musician guilds, and pilgrimage committees analogous to municipal entities in towns like Pandharpur and networks intersecting with caste reformers such as Jyotirao Phule and activists associated with B. R. Ambedkar. Social outreach addressed issues of untouchability through figures like Chokhamela and contemporary NGOs patterned after reform organizations such as the Satyashodhak Samaj. The tradition influenced Marathi literature and theater in centers including Mumbai, Pune, and Kolhapur, and shaped cultural policy during the Maratha and British Raj periods, engaging with institutions like Bombay Presidency bureaucracies and postcolonial state entities.
Modern debates involve heritage management at Pandharpur, caste inclusion campaigns linked to Dalit movements and legal disputes litigated in forums comparable to the Bombay High Court and national bodies shaped by policies of the Government of India. Contemporary outreach uses media produced in hubs such as Mumbai and Pune and engages with global diasporas in cities like London, New York City, Toronto, Sydney, and Dubai where devotional practice meets organizations similar to cultural associations and academic study at universities including University of Mumbai and Harvard University. Cultural transmission continues via recordings, academic conferences at venues like Deccan College and festivals curated by municipal cultural departments, while debates over commercialization and preservation echo tensions faced by other heritage traditions such as those surrounding the Kumbh Mela and UNESCO-designated sites.
Category:Religious traditions