Pandharpur
Encyclopedia
Pandharpur is an important pilgrimage city on the Bhimā river
in Solāpur district
, Maharashtra
, India
. The Vithoba
temple attracts about half a million Hindu
pilgrims during the major yātrā (pilgrimage) in the month of Ashadh (June-July).
Pandharpur is one of the most prominent pilgrimage sites in Maharashtra. It is located on the banks of the Bhimā river, which is alternatively known as Chandrabhāgā because of its half-moon-like shape. It is named after a merchant, Pandarika who achieved self-realization there.
Pandharpur, also known as Pandhari, hosts the renowned Vitthal temple
on the banks of Bhimā. "Vithoba
", "Pāndurang", and "Pandharināth" are the popular alternate names of the deity, Viththal, who is regarded in Hinduism
as a God form of Lord Krishna
, who, in turn, is considered as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu
. Rakhumāi or Rukmini
is Viththal's consort in Hinduism.
The worship of Vitthal in the Pandharpur temple is based mainly on the contents of the Puranas
, and the contributions of the Vaishnav saints of Maharashtra
and Karnataka
during the 13th through the 17th centuries, namely, Dnyaneshwar
, Namdev
, Eknath
, Tukaram
, Purandara Dasa
, Vijaya Dasa
, Gopala Dasa
, and Jagannatha Dasa
, have augmented the worship.
The Pandharpur temple covers a large area, and has six gates. The eastern gate is known as the "Namdev Gate".
Pandharpur hosts four annual pilgrimages ("yātrās") of Hindu devotees. Among them, the pilgrimage in the month of Āshādh (June-July) in the Hindu calendar attracts the largest number of pilgrims --around 0.5 to 0.7 million people. The pilgrimage in the month of Kārtik (October-November) attracts the next largest number of pilgrims.
This has been a great place to visit for devotees all over India. There are some other important holy places around Pandharpur as Goddess Tulja Bhavani (Goddess of family - KulDevata of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) at Tuljapur, Saint Shri Swami Samarth (God Form of Dattatreya) at Shri Kshetra Akkalkot, Lord Dattatreya at Ganagapur etc. All are located in / near to Solapur District. Devotees from all over Maharashtra and surrounding states visit all these places at least once per year.
The famous devi Temple in Pandharpur are Padmavati , Emayi –Tukai, Ambabai, Lakhubai .
Milk and all other cow products for Pooja in Pandharpur temple is supplied from Shri kesavgoshala of Pandharpur belong to Nagoriya Math.
railway junction. A train runs from Pandharpur to Mumbai through Pune.
Pandharpur is connected to all cities and towns in Maharashtra by bus.
Bhima River
The Bhima River originates in Bhimashankar hills near Karjat on the western side of Western Ghats, known as Sahyadri, in Maharashtra state in India. Bhima flows southeast for 861 km through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh states...
in Solāpur district
Solapur
Solapur is a city in South Western Maharashtra, India governed by municipal corporation.Solapur is one of the four districts that form the region of Western Maharashtra . It is the fourth largest district in Maharashtra in terms of land area and seventh largest in terms of population...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The Vithoba
Vithoba
Vithoba , also known as Vitthala and Panduranga , is a Hindu god, worshipped predominantly in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa and Andhra Pradesh. He is generally considered a manifestation of the Hindu god Vishnu or his Avatar Krishna...
temple attracts about half a million Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
pilgrims during the major yātrā (pilgrimage) in the month of Ashadh (June-July).
Geography
Pandharpur has an average elevation of 458 metres (1502 feet).Demographics
According to the 2001 census of India, Pandharpur had a population of 91,381. Males constituted 52% of the population and females, 48%. 71% of the population was literate, (higher than the national average of 59.5%), 78% of males and 64% of females being literate. 12% of the population was under 6 years of age.Religious importance
Pandharpur is one of the most prominent pilgrimage sites in Maharashtra. It is located on the banks of the Bhimā river, which is alternatively known as Chandrabhāgā because of its half-moon-like shape. It is named after a merchant, Pandarika who achieved self-realization there.
Pandharpur, also known as Pandhari, hosts the renowned Vitthal temple
Vithoba temple, Pandharpur
Vithoba temple, Pandharpur is the main centre of worship for the Hindu deity Vithoba, believed to be a local form of god Krishna or Vishnu and his consort Rakhumai. It is the most visited temple in Maharastra. The Warkaris start marching from their homes to the temple of Pandharpur in groups called...
on the banks of Bhimā. "Vithoba
Vithoba
Vithoba , also known as Vitthala and Panduranga , is a Hindu god, worshipped predominantly in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa and Andhra Pradesh. He is generally considered a manifestation of the Hindu god Vishnu or his Avatar Krishna...
", "Pāndurang", and "Pandharināth" are the popular alternate names of the deity, Viththal, who is regarded in Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
as a God form of Lord Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
, who, in turn, is considered as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
. Rakhumāi or Rukmini
Rukmini
In Hinduism, Rukmini is the principal wife and queen of Krishna at his city of Dwarka. Krishna heroically kidnaps her from an un-wanted marriage at her request . Of Krishna's 16,108 queens, Rukmini is the first and most prominent...
is Viththal's consort in Hinduism.
The worship of Vitthal in the Pandharpur temple is based mainly on the contents of the Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
, and the contributions of the Vaishnav saints of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
and Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
during the 13th through the 17th centuries, namely, Dnyaneshwar
Dnyaneshwar
Dnyāneshwar , also known as Jñanadeva , was born into a Deshastha Brahmin Kulkarni family.He was a 13th century Maharashtrian Hindu saint , poet, philosopher and yogi of the Nath tradition whose works Bhavartha deepika teeka ,...
, Namdev
Namdev
Sant Namdeo or Bhagat Namdeo was born on October 29, 1270 in the state of Maharashtra village of Narasi-Bamani, in Hingoli district . His father, a calico printer/tailor, was named Damshet and his mother's name was Gonabai...
, Eknath
Eknath
Eknath was a prominent Marathi scholar and religious poet. He is called a "sant" in the Marathi tradition as are most other religious poets...
, Tukaram
Tukaram
Sant Tukaram was a prominent Varkari Sant and spiritual poet during a Bhakti movement in India.Sant Tukaram was born and lived most of his life in Dehu, a town close to Pune in Mahārāshtra, India. He was born to a couple with the family name "More", the descendent of the Mourya Clan with first...
, Purandara Dasa
Purandara Dasa
Purandara Dāsa is one of the most prominent composers of Carnatic music and is widely regarded as the "father of Carnatic Music". Purandara Dasa addressed social issues in addition to worship in his compositions, a practice emulated by his younger contemporary, Kanaka Dasa...
, Vijaya Dasa
Vijaya Dasa
Vijaya Dasa or Sri Vijaya Dasa was a prominent saint from the Haridasa tradition of Karnataka, India in the 18th century. Sri VijayaDasaru is an amsha of Sri Brighu Muni; the very same muni, who was the nimmita for the eternal kshetra Tirumala ! Sri Krishna himself in BG 10.25 says "maharsinam...
, Gopala Dasa
Gopala Dasa
Sri Gopala Dasa was a prominent 18th century saint, under the Haridasa tradition. Along with other contemporary Haridasas such as Vijaya Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa and Venugopala Dasa, Gopala Dasa propagated the Dvaita philosophy of Sri Madhvacharya throughout South India through Devaranamas or "Songs...
, and Jagannatha Dasa
Jagannatha Dasa
Jagannatha Dasa , a native of Manvi town in the Raichur district, Karnataka state, India, is considered one of the notable Haridasa saint-poets of the Kannada language...
, have augmented the worship.
The Pandharpur temple covers a large area, and has six gates. The eastern gate is known as the "Namdev Gate".
Pandharpur hosts four annual pilgrimages ("yātrās") of Hindu devotees. Among them, the pilgrimage in the month of Āshādh (June-July) in the Hindu calendar attracts the largest number of pilgrims --around 0.5 to 0.7 million people. The pilgrimage in the month of Kārtik (October-November) attracts the next largest number of pilgrims.
This has been a great place to visit for devotees all over India. There are some other important holy places around Pandharpur as Goddess Tulja Bhavani (Goddess of family - KulDevata of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) at Tuljapur, Saint Shri Swami Samarth (God Form of Dattatreya) at Shri Kshetra Akkalkot, Lord Dattatreya at Ganagapur etc. All are located in / near to Solapur District. Devotees from all over Maharashtra and surrounding states visit all these places at least once per year.
The famous devi Temple in Pandharpur are Padmavati , Emayi –Tukai, Ambabai, Lakhubai .
Milk and all other cow products for Pooja in Pandharpur temple is supplied from Shri kesavgoshala of Pandharpur belong to Nagoriya Math.
Education
- Shri Vithal Education & Research Institute's, College Of Engineering Pandharpur Established in 1998, is run by the SVERI Trust.
- Kawthekar High SchoolKawthekar High SchoolKawthekar High School is a high school run by the Pandharpur Education Society, that is located in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, India. The school was inaugurated on 12 June 1947 with 150 students and 5 teachers....
, established in 1947, is run by the Pandharpur Education Society. - D.H.Kawthekar High School
- Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil College Pandharpur also known as Pandharpur College
- Sinhgad Technical Education SocietySinhgad Technical Education SocietySinhgad Technical Education Society, also referred to as STES, is a collection of education institutes operating mainly in the region of Pune, India. It provides education in the fields of Engineering, Management, Pharmacy, Architecture, and Computer Applications.STES was founded by Prof. M. N...
- Lokamanya Vidyalay High School is over 100 years old.
Transportation
Pandharpur is connected to KurduvadiKurduvadi
Kurduvadi or Kurudwadi is a small town in Solapur district in Maharashtra state of India. It is known mainly for the railway junction connecting two different rail gauge tracks.-Geography:Kurduvadi / Kurduwadi is located at...
railway junction. A train runs from Pandharpur to Mumbai through Pune.
Pandharpur is connected to all cities and towns in Maharashtra by bus.
Further reading
- G.A.Deleury, The cult of Vithoba (Pune: Deccan CollegeDeccan College (Pune)Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute is a post-graduate institute of Archeology and Linguistics in Pune, India.Established October 6, 1821, Deccan College is one of the oldest institutions of modern learning in India...
, 1960) - M.S.Mate, Temples and legends of Maharashtra (Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1988), pp188-220
- D.B.Mokashi, Palkhi: a pilgrimage to Pandharpur (translated from the Marathi)(Albany, NY: State University of New York Press; Hyderabad: Orient Longman, 1990)