Pandharichi Wari: Part 9

A visit to Mangalvedhe 

June 18th

My mother in law was from Kolhapur. She was the eldest of 6 sisters and a brother. One of her sisters who we refer to as Kamal maushi lives in Mangalvedhe, a small town about 20 km from Pandharpur. Since the time I got married I have met Kamal maushi a few times during weddings or such occasions in the family. This was the first time I had met her sons when both came to pick me up in Jejuri. 

It was decided that Sunday we would visit her in Mangalvedhe.  Her elder son Vikas was to come to pick us from Pandharpur. Before he arrived Dr. Bhosekar stopped by to change my dressing. The wound didn’t look good to him. He cleaned it and put antibacterial ointment and covered it with gauze. A blister on the big toe had got bigger. He aspirated it with a sterile syringe and put a bandaid on it. He suggested perhaps a surgeon needs to see me. I preferred to see one in Pune rather than in Pandharpur. So despite the plea from Vinu to stay longer I told them I want to return to Pune the next day. They agreed. Dr Bhosekar had to be forced to accept his fees from me. I couldn’t thank him enough for his kind services.

Vinu’s family of four, Vikas’ 8 year old son Yash and myself( total seven people) got into Vikas’ semi-truck around 10:30 am. Vikas was extra slow as he manipulated over the several speed breakers on the road until we were out of the city limits of Pandharpur. The slow speed was bothering Vinu. Vikas admitted the truck needed servicing. It was hot, both outside and inside the truck. Siddhi sitting with Niraj, Kanha and Yash in the middle row was quite crammed up. The younger boys squabbled over space. Poor Niraj too was uncomfortable with one of the two sitting on his lap. Finally Vikas threatened and just stopped the car until his son Yash paid heed to move aside and allow everyone some decent space. 

I was enjoying the family dynamics and also the rural scenery outside. The road was pretty well maintained. There were fields on both sides. Some with crop, others barren. The soil was starkly black at most places. There were sugarcane fields, some jowari crops, banana plantations, occasional citrus( lemons) and to my surprise, even grapevines. The road accommodated not just cars, buses and trucks but also cyclists, horse carriages and bullock carts. 

We passed by Gopalpur a small village just outside Pandharpur. Legend has it that Krishna and Rukmini first arrived at Gopalpur. Rukmini wanted to return to their abode in Vaikuntha from here. She waited in Gopalpur back when Krishna paid visit to his devotee Pundalik in Pandharpur. As most people know, Pundalik was in the midst of serving his old parents and asked Krishna to wait on a brick until he could attend to him. Krishna( Vithoba) has since stood waiting on that brick with his hands on the waist while his true devotee remains engrossed in the call of duty. Vithoba is ready to leave his wife waiting when ordered by a devotee to stand until time is right. 

On the eve of and day of Ashadhi and Kartiki Ekadashi the lines of warkaris and local devotees get so long that they extend up to and beyond Gopalpur. We saw the bamboo mandaps erected by the local authorities to provide shelter from sun and rain for these long lines of devotees. There would be fans and coolers installed for comfort from blistering heat. Arrangements would be made on those 1-2 days of Ekadashi for tea and breakfast as well. There would be strict police presence to prevent infiltration into the lines. I was truly impressed with the work that goes into making this such a remarkable experience for the huge crowds that arrive in town for the occasion.

Continuing our ride we passed through many other small villages like Eklaspur, Siddhewadi etc. Near Siddhewadi we passed on a good sized bridge that stood over a wide bed of river. Except there wasn’t a drop of water in that river! I found out this is the Managanga river. In the monsoons there may be a lot more water and occasional flooding but for most part this is the sad situation not just for this river but for the entire district of Solapur. The farming in this region mostly thrives on cash crops that take rain water. Jowari, Bajri, Kardayi, sunflowers( for oil) , harbhara( black Chana) are the main crops grown here. The jowar variety called Maaldaandi from Mangalvedhe is considered of high quality and has been granted the GI tag from the government of India. There is a large grain warehouse as well as research center for the same in the area. The staple diet of the locals consists of the jowari bhakri with sides of spicy roasted eggplant and or spicy chutneys of various kinds. Jawas chutney made from flax seeds, thecha made of out garlic and chillies and peanut chutney are some of the specialties from this region. The diet is simple like the people here. 

Just before we entered the town about a km or two before Vikas made a turn into an unpaved road to show me his workshop. Under a metal shed a couple of employees were working on some machinery fabricating some parts for farm equipment. A few yards down from there was an open area in the midst of which was a stone well. Everyone got out of the truck to see and show me this well.

The history of the well dates back to the fourteenth century, though some sources say cite seventeenth century around the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The town was facing dire effects of famines. Locals had to travel long distances to get water for themselves, their animals and their crops. During one such difficult time there was a yogi staying on the outskirts of the town. People approached him for blessings and guidance to overcome famine and water shortages. Through his yogic powers he was able to locate a potential source of water. However there was a rather shocking requisite to access this water. A human sacrifice from a new mother could yield water at that site. There was a pious young woman in town, the daughter in law of a wealthy farmer, who had recently given birth to her first baby. Her name was Gopabai. She came forward and expressed willingness to sacrifice herself and her baby for the cause of the welfare of the entire town. Her father in law provided for the digging and construction of the stone well. At the bottom of this well, under one of the side walls, a special chamber was built to set up home for Gopabai and her baby. Once the construction was completed an auspicious time was picked for her to enter the well to her chamber. As she held her baby in the arms and began to walk, with every step she descended, water appeared from the bottom and began to rise up slowly. Gradually she disappeared under the waters and the villagers saw the entire well filled with water out of nowhere. 

Gopabai is ranked alongside the other saints that are associated with Mangalvedhe. Sant Gopabai is how she is remembered for her sacrifice for the people. 

I saw the well in person that day. Even after so many centuries it remains in good condition. There was some water at the bottom and the entrance to Gopabai’s chamber was visible from above. Apparently in recent years when drought had led to complete drying up of the well, the villagers were able to go down and explore inside the chamber. Apparently it is a huge and elaborate chamber that extends several hundred yards underground. All basic amenities for a household are found intact there. But no trace of Gopabai. She lives as a legend. 

Entering the town we passed around schools and college campuses, shops and municipal buildings. A statue of Saint Damaji stood at one place. Right behind this was the Damaji Mandir. At another place is a shrine of another saint, Sant Chokhamela. His actual samadhi is in Mangalvedhe but the remains were later moved and enshrined adjoining the Vithoba temple in Pandharpur. Other prominent saints connected to Mangalvedhe are Kanhopatra, Teekaswami or Saint Jayatirtha ( a prominent member of Dwaita philosophy school) and Saint Basaveshwara. 

We reached the ancestral wada of the Karmarkar family. It was a typical structure with bricks, mud, stone and interiors of wood. Kamal maushi, Vikas’ wife Pooja and his two teenage daughters welcomed us inside. I was meeting everyone except Kamal maushi for the first time. Pooja was a very pleasant hostess. She greeted me and offered water. Her daughters Rutuja and Shravani were tech savvy young ladies. They were prompt in sharing contacts on the phones. True to my guess, Shravani had been named after her birth month. (It made me remember a conversation I had with my dearest childhood friend Vidula who I lost in 2013. I had jokingly told her once with mock complaint that my parents should have named me Shravani since I was born in Shravan. ) 

The kids were served lunch first. They sat down on the ground next to each other as the mothers served in their plates. Once they were done maushi and me had our lunch. Pooja had gone out of her way to make poli, bhaaji, masale bhaat, fried papads and basundi. Vikas and Vinu ate after us and Pooja and Siddhi were the last to eat. 

After lunch everyone gathered to chat for a while. Maushi wanted me to review her medication. Her sons complained to me how she eats whatever she wants and the blood sugar never lowers below two hundred. She accused me of siding with them when I told her to eat less rice and sweets. I just said what I would have told my father, I said to her. 

Vinu asked me what kind of work I was going to do at Pune hospital. I told him what preventive medicine was about, explaining about lifestyle modification, weight loss, tobacco cessation etc. It was an oops moment !! He nearly ran out of my sight as his mom implored to me to get both her sons off chewing tobacco. I bluntly told them that this habit must stop right away. Vikas promised he would work on it. 

I was left there on the day bed chatting with maushi for a good hour or more while rest of the family simply disappeared. They took a nap in the inner rooms. Then suddenly appeared by 5 pm. It was time to leave for Pandharpur. Pooja and Siddhi jointly gifted me a saree before I took leave of everyone in Mangalvedhe. Vikas dropped us back in Pandharpur by 7:30 pm. 

I freshened up in my room, then stepped out into the market to look for a pair of soft slippers. All this time I had borrowed Niraj’s slippers. The footwear vendors were not too far from my hotel. On the way back I saw a shop selling khun fabrics. Stopped to look at these, picked 2 from there. The shopkeeper had some colorful woven mats ( Satranjis) on display. During the dindi I saw many women had these as their bedding. They were less bulky than my sleeping bag and perfect for a single person to lie down anywhere. Also easily washable. The man had sold out all satranjis to the warkaris. He asked me where I lived and said he could deliver it to Pune in a week or two. He knew Vinu and the family and if I preferred he would give it to them. I gave him advance of 200 rupees so Vinu doesn’t end up paying for it. 

Next I went looking for some books at the religious book store. The bigger store someone had recommended was closed. I found another store and got a couple of booklets from there. Then proceeded to dinner with Siddhi and family.

I retired to my room after dinner and washed the clothes I had worn all day so everything would be dry to pack up next morning.