Pune: In a heartwarming story of love and resilience, Sunil Jadhav and his wife Rupali, who faced severe familial opposition due to their inter-caste marriage, have found acceptance and are now undertaking a barefoot pilgrimage from Dehu to Pandharpur to fulfill a vow.
Sunil Jadhav, from the Ramoshi community, and Rupali, from the Pardhi community, were disowned by their families following their marriage.
Facing severe financial and social hardships, the couple lived under a bridge in Dehu and survived on meager resources. Rupali even faced harassment while working in a local hotel, but the couple received support from the police.
Six years into their marriage, Rupali is now pregnant, leading to the couple’s acceptance by both families. They currently live with Sunil’s parents in Patas.
To fulfill a vow made to Lord Vitthal for a child, the couple has decided to walk barefoot from Dehu to Pandharpur as part of the Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi procession.
The Palkhi is currently stationed at Nimgaon Ketki in the Indapur Taluka, and the couple is making their way to Pandharpur as an act of devotion. Sunil is also volunteering to apply sandalwood paste to fellow pilgrims.
Sunil Jadhav emphasized the importance of love over caste, saying, "Love knows no caste; we fell in love with each other's hearts, not castes. Our hope is that others do not face the struggles we did due to inter-caste marriage."
He continued, "The Pardhi community is often viewed with suspicion and kept out of mainstream society. This identity must be erased, and they must be brought into the mainstream.
My wife's family is wonderful. Children from the Pardhi community must be brought into the educational system to learn what is right and wrong. This community is often neglected, keeping them from progressing."
