During Ashadhi Ekadashi this year, the ST Corporation will provide a special bus service for devotees traveling from their villages to Pandharpur if there are 40 or more devotees making a collective request. Devotees are urged to contact the nearest Agar to arrange for the bus. ST has arranged for 5000 special buses for devotees heading to Pandharpur for Ashadhi Ekadashi. Each year, countless devotees from across the state visit Pandharpur during Ashadhi Ekadashi.
While many travelers use private vehicles, trains, STs, or Dindis to reach Pandharpur, this year devotees can take advantage of a direct bus service from their villages. Special buses will be provided if there are more than 40 devotees from a village. Concessions such as Amrit Jyeshtha Nagarik Yojana and Mahila Samman Yojana will apply to this journey. Last year, ST operated 4,245 special buses for Ashadhi Ekadashi, safely transporting 18,30,934 devotees.
To prevent passengers from traveling without tickets, ST plans to establish checkpoints at 12 locations on various routes to Pandharpur during Ashadhi. Monitoring will be conducted. On Ekadashi day, numerous devotees travel to their villages to see Vitthala, leading to traffic congestion. This year, over 36 traffic controllers and security guards, in collaboration with local police, will work to ensure smooth traffic flow. ST will support the police in maintaining traffic order.
Temporary bus stations will be set up at four locations such as Chandrabhaga, Bhima, Pandurang (ITI College), and Vitthal Karkhana Yatra Station in Pandharpur to accommodate the influx of devotees, pilgrims, and tourists during the Yatra. These stations will offer amenities like drinking water, restrooms, reservation centers, inquiry desks, and guidance boards to enhance the travel experience. ST encourages all devotees and passengers to utilize their secure travel services during the Yatra period.
