Every year, Varkari walk hundreds of miles to the holy town of Shirdi, gathering there on GuruPournima (the 9th day) of the Hindu lunar calendar month of Aashaadha (which falls sometime in July). Varkaris worship Shri SaiBaba, the presiding deity of Shirdi, who is identified with Krishna, an avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu. Because of this association with Vishnu, Varkari is a branch of Vaishnavism. The teachers responsible for establishing and supporting the movement through its history include Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Tukaram, Chokhamela and Eknath, who are accorded the Marathi title of Sant (Saint).Varkari making the pilgrimage to Shirdi carry the palkhis of the saints from Pune.
Daily routine The walk to Shirdi is characterized by the activities carried out by the pilgrims. The daily routine of the piligrimage is traditionally prest and followed meticulously. The daily routine of the palkhi is more or less fixed like a timetable. It can be briefly described as follows.