Sun Jul 06 06:56:32 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

The article is a press release from Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi, a significant Hindu festival in Maharashtra involving a pilgrimage (wari) to Pandharpur. Pawar emphasizes the cultural and spiritual importance of the wari, highlighting its values of devotion, discipline, equality, unity and brotherhood. He calls for the preservation and strengthening of Marathi language and culture, and prays for a prosperous agricultural season and overall well-being for the state. The statement also mentions Maharashtra scrapping the three-language policy for primary education and setting up a panel to make recommendations.

**News Article:**

**Pawar Extols Marathi Culture and Tradition During Ashadhi Ekadashi**

**Mumbai, July 6, 2025** – Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar extended greetings on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi, celebrating the rich spiritual and cultural heritage of the state. In a released statement Sunday, Pawar lauded the annual ‘wari’ pilgrimage to Pandharpur as a testament to devotion, discipline, and spiritual equality.

“The Ashadhi wari is a powerful movement of Maharashtra’s spiritual and cultural richness. For centuries, the warkari sect has not only guided but enriched the State’s social and cultural fabric,” Pawar said. He emphasized the importance of preserving and strengthening Marathi language and culture, calling for its widespread promotion.

Highlighting the values of unity, equality, and brotherhood demonstrated by the lakhs of ‘warkaris’ (pilgrims) undertaking the journey to Pandharpur, Pawar stressed the wari’s teachings of humanity and dedication. He further called for these principles to be channeled into the state’s development.

In his message, Pawar also prayed for a favorable monsoon season and a prosperous agricultural yield for Maharashtra.

The statement comes amidst recent news of Maharashtra scrapping its three-language policy for primary education, and the subsequent establishment of a panel to formulate new recommendations for language education in the state.

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