Pune: Raghav Pasaricha from Uttarakhand and his Italian fiancée, Eva Zanettin, both passionate about photography and filming, completed the Ashadhi pilgrimage this year. They are determined to spread the values they discovered—devotion, love, and selflessness—across the globe.
Raghav first participated in the pilgrimage in 2022, working on devotional music and capturing moments through his lens. This year, he returned with Eva by his side.
Raghav expressed how the pilgrimage filled him with pride in Indian culture and tradition, describing it as a journey of self-discovery and a way to live without ego. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the pilgrimage's sanctity, especially in the age of social media.
Eva said, "This was my first pilgrimage, and it felt like a source of energy. I found love, joy, and equality. This equality should spread across the world. The pilgrimage is an ideal. There is no discrimination based on caste or creed. Warkaris live with a spirit of selflessness. These are the values the war-torn world needs today. I experienced the love among the Warkaris.
I didn’t understand their language, but their emotions reached my heart. I felt their trust and warmth. The pilgrimage's approach of living together harmoniously without discrimination is indeed inspiring.
Everyone addresses each other as ‘Mauli,’ which is a profound expression of equality. The pilgrimage is a school that teaches many aspects of life. It allows for an inner dialogue with the divine, something many Warkaris might already be doing. I wish for the Warkari values of universal brotherhood and compassion to spread across the world."
Both Raghav and Eva now consider the Ashadhi pilgrimage an essential part of their lives and are committed to participating in it again, seeing it as a source of inspiration and spiritual growth.
