Mysuru: At an auction, Chamarajanagar hotelier S Prathap lapped up a Maharashtra Warkari Pheta, worn by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the inauguration of Saint Tukaram Shila Mandir near Pune on June 14, 2022.Prathap, who runs Roti Ghar in Chamarajanagar, participated in an e-auction of mementos presented to PM Modi and successfully bid for the Warkari Pheta with a Lord Vitthal motif. A Warkari Pheta is a traditional turban worn by followers of the Warkari sect, a devotional movement in Maharashtra dedicated to Lord Vitthal of Pandharpur. Prathap also received his auction winner’s certificate from the Union Ministry of Culture, issued through joint secretary Mugdha Sinha. The auction proceeds were utilised for the Namami Gange Project for cleaning and rejuvenating the Ganga. Speaking to TOI, Prathap said he had taken part in the e-auction two months ago and bid for the Pheta for Rs 3,600. “I am a fan of PM Modi, and a beneficiary of the MUDRA loan scheme. I started this eatery called Roti Ghar and became financially successful,” he said.“As this Pheta also features a Lord Vitthal motif, as an ardent devotee of the deity and to contribute to the clean Ganga project, I participated in the e-auction,” he further said.
