The annual pilgrimage from Dehu to the temple town of Pandharpur by lakhs of warkaris (devotees) in Maharashtra who measure the distance on foot is a tradition that has lasted over 300 years now. It was amidst traditional fervor that the palkhi carrying the padukas of Sant Tukaram left Dehu in its 315th year. This year, however, was different as Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane, along with wife Neelam, and State Minister for Cultural Affairs Pramod Navalkar were in Dehu to perform the puja of the padukas. Dressed as a warkari, Rane mingled with the other devotees and joined them in singing bhajans with fervour.

It was Navalkar who said that the `humble warkari' may not ask for any favours but it was the responsibility of the state government that they do not face any problems during their pilgrimage to Pandharpur every year. While Navalkar demanded that Rs 50 lakh be given every year to the warkaris, Rane only said a ``substantial provision'' would be made in the stateannual budget. Now it remains to be seen whether Rane's idea of substantial matches Navalkar's promise of Rs 50 lakh.

Not in the Spotlight

Many Indians have signed cheques in favour of one or the other welfare funds for the soldiers battling in Kargil and their families. It's the least Indians in urban cities and faraway places can do for those of us who sacrifice their life or limb to protect the country's frontiers, we say. Most contributions do not merit publicity, and rightly so. But the Rs 1 lakh cheque signed by Dilip Kumar does -- now. Among the first contributors to the Army Central Welfare Fund routed through a newspaper, Kumar was embarrassed talking about it. It's not a big deal, he said, ``it's my humble contribution for our valiant jawans and officers for their supreme sacrifices for the motherland''. He apparently wrote the cheque well before the Shiv Sena, BJP and Congress insisted that he return the Nishan-e-Pakistan to prove his patriotism to India. If you have not heard about thecontribution, Dilip's unwillingness to make it public is only partly the reason. It doesn't suit those who are baying for his blood to make a noise about this one, right?

Spotting Sachin

Is he, isn't he? The whole of Pune is wondering whether it is Sachin Tendulkar that they kept seeing in the city last week. Pepsi did not know about it and his sister, who lives in the city, keeps a pretty low profile and is therefore untraceable. But, it seems that the answer does not any lie further than Yogacharya Iyengar's institute, which promises solutions to the master blaster's back troubles that have been plaguing the Indian cricket team for quite some time now. Reliable sources confirm that Sachin is now in daily attendance at the world famous Yogacharya's institute, for a specially formulated yoga regime. Will Pune accomplish what the US could not?

Musical Warning

The Kargil conflict appears to have made many people quite prolific. While there are some people who have made sincerecontributions, there are others who amaze you with the sheer novelty of their ideas. `Kargil Kand. Pakistan ko Chetavani', a compilation by Sangeet audio is one such piece of art. A bhojpuri-biraha muqabla, there is one singer on one side offering a regular one-piece bhojpuri rendition, and the other side has a practically inflammatory anti-Pakistan rendition in the biraha style. Even if you enjoy those styles of music, the logic behind this `warning to Pakistan' remains a mystery. Answers, anyone?

Lasting Taste

Shabana Azmi may be a busy MP, but when she comes to Pune, it is a trip down memory lane (she was a student of the Film and Television Institute of India). So, when she was in the city recently for the 75th anniversary of the Pune Women's Council to talk on her favourite issue -- women empowerment, guess what was the first thing she did? She asked the chauffeur to head for a particular sandwich restaurant in Pune Camp, even before going to her hotel.

``They have thebest sandwiches I have ever eaten,'' she confesses. She did not get down from the car, for fear of being mobbed, but sent the driver instead, for a takeaway sandwich packet. She reminisces how she thoroughly enjoyed munching them, while in FTII. Good taste obviously never fades away, instead it gets better with time.