Panaji: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said that state govt has already identified a land two to three kilometers from the temple at Pandharpur to construct a Goa Bhavan for pilgrims from the state who undertake the annual yatra by foot.He said that the process of taking over the land for construction of the Goa Pandharpur Bhavan will be completed soon.The CM said that state will increase assistance for pilgrims from next year, the award of which has begun from this year’s yatra. Sawant said that state govt also wants more pilgrims to take benefit of the assistance in the coming year.“Goa Pandharpur Bhavan or Goa Vitthal Rukumai Bhavan, you can give it any name that you want. We will ensure it is ready by the time you reach there for the next ‘wari’. I am praying that I return to inaugurate it,” said Sawant.He said that around 3,500 ‘warkaris’ are registered with state govt at present, but the actual number of those who make the journey to Pandharpur could be around 5,000, as some devotees are unable to cover the distance by foot and travel using transportation.“Many like us who cannot go by foot go by vehicles. You’ll are blessed to be able to take the pilgrimage. It is an age-old tradition of pilgrims going from Goa to Pandharpur by foot, and it is believed that people used to make the journey even before the Portuguese era. No ‘warkari’ has asked us for assistance. But we decided on our own to cover at least the bus cost for the ‘warkaris’ to return with ease. We are providing Rs 1 lakh to 5 lakh aid per ‘warkari’ group. We have 35 groups registered with us at present,” said Sawant.It is heartening to see that individuals aged 30 to 40 are also taking up this pilgrimage in a big way.“It is encouraging to know we are keeping our tradition of devotion going even in this internet age. Being a govt scheme, there is a certain protocol. Small groups haven’t got assistance and I urge them to join one of the bigger groups to be able to benefit from the assistance being provided by state. This is not financial assistance, but support to keep the age-old tradition going. We want that the numbers to increase over the coming years. It is not a small feat to walk over 14 days,” said the CM.He said govt plans to revive the Dev Darshan Yatra scheme to allow pilgrims from Goa to undertake different pilgrimages. “We will start it again, with focus on senior citizens,” said Sawant.
