Pilgrimages have been an inseparable part of our culture. Every pilgrim sets off on a journey, often arduous, at least once in his or her lifetime to pay homage to a deity of choice. The Warkari sector of Maharashtra has been undertaking one such pilgrimage known as the Wari for hundreds of years now. Men in white shirts and women in their colourful saris set off on an auspicious day in the monsoons from Dehu and Alandi – from where all roads lead to only one destination, Pandharpur. This is the abode of Lord Pandurang and his consort, Rukhmini, worshipped by millions across Maharashtra and Karnataka. Despite the unsparing showers, the Warkaris sing and dance their way to Pandharpur, carrying a palanquin with the silver padukas of Sant Dynaneshwar and Sant Tukaram, two saints of Maharashtra who revolutionised the concepts of worship and religion, and popularized the Bhakti Movement.

Eminent photographer Shirish Shete has, in his latest offering, 'Wari The path to the divine' captured the 700-plus-year-old tradition of the Wari. The book is a collection of splendid photographs depicting the journey from its first day in the secluded hills of Dehu to the final stop of Pandharpur where thousands of ardent devotees gather to pay their respects to Lord Pandurang. The book also provides a guide that introduces to the uninitiated several customs, facts and folklore associated with this golden tradition known as the Wari.