The Varkari tradition has kept alive the flame of Sanatan Dharma and its core philosophy in the face of cultural manipulations and onslaught by various external forces through the centuries. “There should be a concerted academic effort to counter and correct the distortions inflicted upon our cultural selfhood by various vested interests.
Such traditions acted as the bulwark against predatory cultural onslaughts,” said Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, President, Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR). He was speaking at an event organized for the release of the book, Vari Pilgrimage: Bhakti, Being and Beyond, authored by scholar and researcher Dr Varada Sambhus, at Pune on June 10. The book was brought out by Indus Scrolls Press.
Delivering his presidential address, Dr G B Deglurkar, ex-Chancellor, Deccan College and Deemed University, congratulated Varada for bringing to the fore the political dimension of the Vari pilgrimage which was “largely ignored by many writers”. “Historically speaking, Maharashtra was facing turbulence because of the Muslim invasion that was looming large, for the Sufis had already entered the borders of Maharashtra, and they were the harbingers of that invasion.”
Speaking at the event, Dr Aruna Dhere, President, Dr RC Dhere, said the Vari pilgrimage symbolizes the confluence of different philosophical streams of Sanatan Dharma.
Shri Shivaji Maharaj More, Trustee, Vithal Rukmini Temple Committee, Pandharpur, Dr Varada Sambhus and Shri G Sreedathan, MD, Indus Scrolls Press spoke at the event.
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