MUMBAI: Pandharpur Ashadhi Ekadashi Yatra is a yatra of faith in the Almighty that unites lakhs of warkaris from various places of Maharashtra. The yatra progresses into a colossal Mela at Pandharpur and witnesses the submission of countless warkaris to Lord Vithoba. This year, India’s leading Hindi movie channel -Zee Cinema - staying true to its core proposition of ‘Movies.Masti.Magic’ has made efforts to provide basic amenities during the yatra to the pilgrims so that they have a memorable pilgrimage.

With the fact that ‘The real India lives in villages’ and education being key to the development of India’s economy, Zee Cinema takes its first steps at the Pandharpur Mela this year. The channel is distributing books and pens to generate enthusiasm about learning amongst the youth. And, adhering to ZEEL’s ‘Zee is Green’ initiative, the stationary is being given along with eco-friendly cloth bags to more than fifty thousand pilgrims. Another concern in the region is the acute water shortage. Pilgrims wait endlessly in long queues for Lord Vithoba’s darshan in the scorching heat. The channel has made arrangements to distribute cold drinking water to the devotees to ensure a comfortable hassle-free darshan.

An LED screen will also provide live feeds from the inside of the temple to all the devotees in the surrounding areas. On the banks of Chandrabhaga river, the channel has organized an all-day open theatre that showcases films on Zee Cinema for people to sit and relax. There will also be an exclusive movie screening in the evenings, showcasing the latest blockbusters.