Every year, lakhs of Warkaris walk hundreds of kilometres across Maharashtra, carrying the palkhi of Sant Dnyaneshwar Mauli towards Pandharpur, in a pilgrimage that has continued for centuries. But the road they walk on is changing.
Trees that once lined the route and offered respite from the sun are disappearing, replaced by tents and makeshift shelters. The heat is sharper, the shade scarcer, and the journey harder on aging bodies that have made this walk for decades.
This photo story follows the Wari as it passed through Jejuri, documenting not just devotion and community, but also the quiet, everyday ways in which a warming climate is reshaping one of India’s largest annual pilgrimages. It looks at who bears the weight of these changes, from the women who cook and wash along the route even as the sun bears down, to the elder Warkaris who continue walking despite fatigue and rising temperatures.
Through these images, the story asks a simple question: as the climate shifts, what happens to traditions that depend on the land, the seasons, and each other?
Sanjana Khandare is a journalist engaged in ground reporting on climate change, gender, LGBTQAI+ issues, and Dalit-Adivasi socio-cultural realities. Her work focuses on documenting lived experiences, community voices, and stories from the ground.
