Pandharapur
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Pandharpur City (Pronunciation: əɳɖʱəɾpuËɾ is a popular pilgrimage
town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
, on the banks of ChandrabhagÄ River, near Solapur city in Solapur District,
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. Its administrative area is one of eleven
tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a Zila (country subdivision), district including the designated populated place that ser ...
s in the District, and it is an electoral constituency of the state legislative assembly (''vidhan sabha''). The
Vithoba temple The Vithoba Temple, officially known as Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Mandir (, ), is a Hindu temple in Pandharpur, in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the main centre of worship for Vithoba, a form of the god Vishnu or Krishna, and his consort R ...
attracts about a million
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as SanÄtanÄ«s) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym SanÄtana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
pilgrims during the major ''yÄtrÄ'' (pilgrimage) in
Ashadh Asharh ( ''ÄshÄá¸h'', ''ÄsÄá¸ha'') is the third month of the Bengali and Odia calendars and the Tirhuta Panchang (a Hindu calendar followed by the Maithil community in India and Nepal). It is the first of the two months that comprise the w ...
a (June–July). Kasegaon is the largest village in pandharpur talukas. Deshmukh of kasegaon are real warrior of maratha empire of king chatrapati shivaji Maharaj,they followed footsteps of chatrapati shivaji maharaj to spread maratha empire across nearby region. A small temple of Śri Vitthala-Rukmini is also located, which is as old as the main Vitthala-Rukmini Mandir, in Isbavi area of Pandharpur known as Wakhari Va Korti Devalayas and also known as Visava Mandir. The Bhakti Saint,
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (; ), born Vishvambhara Mishra () (18 February 1486 – 14 June 1534), was an Indian Hindus, Hindu saint from Bengal and the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mode of worshipping Krishna with bha ...
, is said to have spent 7 days in the city at the Vithobha Temple. It is said that the deity Vithoba has been worshipped by many saints of Maharashtra. Sant
Dnyaneshwar Sant Dnyaneshwar (Marathi pronunciation: ̪ɲaËn̪eʃʋəɾ, (Devanagari : सनà¥à¤¤ जà¥à¤žà¤¾à¤¨à¥‡à¤¶à¥à¤µà¤°), also referred to as JñÄneÅ›vara, JñÄnadeva, Dnyandev or Mauli or Dnyaneshwar Vitthal Kulkarni (1275–1296 (living ...
, Sant TukÄrÄm, Sant NÄmdev, Sant EknÄth, Sant NivruttinÄth, Sant MuktÄbai, Sant ChokhÄmelÌ¥Ä, Sant SavatÄ MÄli, Sant Narhari SonÄr, Sant GorÄ KumbhÄr, Sant MeerÄ Bai and Sant GajÄnan MahÄraj are a few of those prominent saints. Deshmukh of kasegaon used to have keys of temple in earlier days , pujari of temple used to come kasegaon to get keys of temple early in the morning and in the evening after closing Temple they used to handover keys to landlord Deshmukh.


History

The oldest mention of Pandharpur is from 516 CE from the
Rashtrakuta The Rashtrakuta Empire was a royal Indian polity ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the 6th and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their rule from Manapu ...
era copper plate inscription.
Yadava The Yadava (), not to be confused with Yadav, were an ancient Indian people who believed to have descended from Yadu (legendary king), Yadu, a legendary king of Chandravamsha lineage. The community was formed of various clans, being the #T ...
Kings in the 11th and 12th centuries gave numerous donations to the temple as evident from the inscriptions. In the era of
Adilshahi The Sultanate of Bijapur was an early modern kingdom in the western Deccan and South India, ruled by the Muslim Adil Shahi (or Adilshahi) dynasty. Bijapur had been a ''taraf'' (province) of the Bahmani Kingdom prior to its independence in 1490 ...
, most of the town was destroyed by Afzal Khan. Saints from all across Maharashtra still gathered here for annual pilgrimage and thus Pandharpur became the heart of the devotional movement which laid to the social-religious reform. This resulted in new social synthesis which later paved the foundation of
Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...
. In the second half of the 18th century under the
Marathas The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...
the temple and town was rebuilt under the
Peshwa The Peshwa was the second highest office in the Maratha Empire, next in rank and prestige only to that of the Chhatrapati. Initially serving as the appointed prime minister in the Maratha Kingdom, the office became hereditary when Shahu gave t ...
s of Pune,
Scindia House of Scindia or earlier known as the Sendrak was a Hindu Maratha Royal House that ruled the erstwhile Gwalior State in central India. Ranoji Scindia rose as a prominent military commander under Peshwa Bajirao I. Ranoji and his descendants ...
of Gwailor and
Holkar The Holkars (pronunciation: ¦o(Ë)É­kəɾ were the ruling house of the Indore State of the Maratha Confederacy, and earlier held the rank of Subahdar under Peshwa Baji Rao I of the Maratha Empire. When the Maratha Confederacy began to we ...
of Indore.


Mahadwar

Mahadwar is main locality in the city and a market place. Mahadwar leads to main ghÄt of Pandharpur that is "Mahadwar ghat". There is temple of Bhakta Pundalik on the ghÄt. It is said that
Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृषà¥à¤£, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...
came to Pandharpur to meet his disciple Bhakta Pundalīka who was busy serving his parents at that time he offered brick called ''viṭ'' in maraṭhi to Krishna and requested him to wait standing on the brick for some time till he attended to his parents. The same Krishna is standing on the brick for the last 28
yuga A ''yuga'', in Hinduism, is generally used to indicate an age of time. In the ''Rigveda'', a ''yuga'' refers to generations, a period of time (whether long or short), or a yoke (joining of two things). In the ''Mahabharata'', the words ''yuga' ...
and thus is also knows as Vitthala. So in Ärati of vitthal it is mentioned "''yuge atá¹­hÄvis (28), viá¹­hevari ubhÄ''".


Significance

There are many other ancient scriptures that elaborate the importance of Vitthala.
Chandogya Upanishad The ''Chandogya Upanishad'' (Sanskrit: , IAST: ''ChÄndogyopaniá¹£ad'') is a Sanskrit text embedded in the Chandogya Brahmana of the Sama Veda of Hinduism.Patrick Olivelle (2014), ''The Early Upanishads'', Oxford University Press; , pp. 166-1 ...
: The fourth chapter of the
Chandogya Upanishad The ''Chandogya Upanishad'' (Sanskrit: , IAST: ''ChÄndogyopaniá¹£ad'') is a Sanskrit text embedded in the Chandogya Brahmana of the Sama Veda of Hinduism.Patrick Olivelle (2014), ''The Early Upanishads'', Oxford University Press; , pp. 166-1 ...
, has one of the source of the ancient tradition of Shri Vitthala's worship. It contains the story of King JanÅ›hruti who mentions his visit to Pandharpur when he was on the way to search for Raikva.  He remarks that " He arrived at the location where the god "Vitthala," who is simply a reincarnation of Vishnu, was located on the bank of the river BhimÄ. The name of this pilgrimage is Bindutirth, and the name of the local deity is BindumÄdhav. There, the God who gives the blessings of material and spiritual prosperity still lives."
Padma Purana The ''Padma Purana'' (, or ) is one of the eighteen Puranas#Mahapuranas, Major Puranas, a genre of texts in Hinduism. It is an encyclopedic text, named after the lotus in which creator god Brahma appeared, and includes large sections dedic ...
: The meaning of PÄnduranga or Viá¹­thala is explained in VarÄha samhitÄ of
Padma Purana The ''Padma Purana'' (, or ) is one of the eighteen Puranas#Mahapuranas, Major Puranas, a genre of texts in Hinduism. It is an encyclopedic text, named after the lotus in which creator god Brahma appeared, and includes large sections dedic ...
. Devrishi NÄrada narrates to Ä€diÅ›eá¹£a about arrival of PÄnduranga in Pandharpur, It explains the background and significance of Vitthala's brick-standing at Pandharpur and origin of the
Bhima Bhima (, ), also known as Bhimasena (, ), is a hero and one of the most prominent characters in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. As the second of the five Pandava brothers, Bhima was born to Kunti—the wife of King Pandu—fathered by Vayu, the ...
River. Additionally, it provides information on Pandharpur's different gods and deities. Neera Narasinḥpur is as holy as PrayÄga, Korti or Vishnupad is as holy as GayÄ, and Pandharpur is as holy as KÄśī. Therefore, a trip to Pandharpur could result in the blessings of the pilgrimage to these three locations. This is where Gaya Å›hraddha and KÄshi yÄtra rituals can be carried out.
Skanda Purana The ''Skanda Purana'' ( IAST: Skanda PurÄṇa) is the largest '' MukhyapurÄṇa'', a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is of Shaivite literature, titled after Skanda, a son of Shiva and Parv ...
: Shiva narrates to PÄrvati, "This place is spiritually fruitful three times more than Puá¹£hkara, six times more than KedÄrnÄth, ten times more than VÄrÄnasi and many more times than ÅšriÅ›aila. Performing YÄtra, VÄri, and DÄn have great merit at this place. There are four gates on the outside and inside of this building. Only via these gates may a person enter a city and they must bend their heads to the deity of these revered gates. Goddess
Sarasvati Saraswati (, ), also spelled as Sarasvati, is one of the principal Devi, goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of knowledge, education, learning, arts, speech, poetry, music, purification, language and culture. Together with the godde ...
is to the east, Siddheshvar of Machanoor is to the south, Bhuvaneshvar is to the west, and MahiÅ›hÄsÅ«rmardini is to the north at the internal gate. To the east of the exterior gates are Trivikarms of Ter, Koteshvar of Krishnatir Shorpalaya KÅ›hetra, MahÄlakÅ›hmÄ« of KolhÄpur and Narsinḥa of Neera narasinhapur. Vishnu is regarded to reside here with his nine celestial attributes. VimalÄ, Uttkarshani, Dyan, KriyÄ, Yoga, Pavi, SatyÄ, Eshana, and Anugraha are the names of those nine powers. Garuá¸h (the eagle) stands in front of the PÄnduranga statue, with
BrahmÄ Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212–226.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hin ...
and Sanakadika to its right and the eleven Rudras and Shiva to its left. All of the gods, including
Indra Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war.  volumes Indra is the m ...
, are applauding Panduranga from behind the idol. This ancient text goes into detail about the importance and advantages of various temple rituals, including taking refuge in the temple's shadow, performing PÄnduranga darshan, praising Panduranga in front of him, dancing in the rangshala, visiting the temple for darshan during dhupÄrti, cleaning the temple grounds, etc. The text clarifies the significance of the Pandharpur shrines Kundal Tirtha and Padma Tirtha. BalarÄma also arrived and served the deity, along with Dhaumya Rishi and Yudhiá¹£há¹­hira and all of his brothers. In Pandharpur,
Rukmini Rukmini (, ) is a Devi, Hindu goddess and the first queen of Krishna. She is described as the chief of Krishna's wives in DvÄrakÄ. Rukmini is revered as the avatar of Lakshmi and is venerated primarily in Warkari, and Haridasa tradition, and ...
served the deity and gave birth to
Pradyumna Pradyumna () is the eldest son of the Hindu deities Krishna and his wife Rukmini. He is considered to be one of the four vyuha avatars of Vishnu. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Pradyumna was the reincarnation of Kamadeva, the god of lov ...
. The effects of the river Bhima's entry into Pandhari, Pandhari's protector Shri
Bhairava Bhairava (, ), or KÄla Bhairava, is a Shaivite and VajrayÄna deity worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva.Kramrisch, Stella (1994). ''The Presence of Åšiva''. Princeton, NJ: P ...
, the devotee Muktakeshi's meditation, and her acceptance by God are all detailed in this scripture.


Demographics

According to the 2011 census of India, Pandharpur had a population of 98,000. Males constituted 52% of the population and females, 48%. 71% of the population was literate; 78% of males and 64% of females. Marathi is the official and main language of the people. It is a major holy place in Maharashtra and it is also called South Kashi (Dakshin Kashi) in Maharashtra. It is famous for the Lord Vitthala temple situated on the bank of the Bhima river. Bhima river is also known as Chandrabhaga as it takes shape like a crescent moon near the town and hence gets the name. There are 4 yatra's (vaari- gathering of pilgrims/devotees) per year, Chaitri, Ashadhi, Kartiki and Maghi, of which Ashadhi and Kartiki are the main ones. Devotees come from all over Maharashtra, Karnataka and some part of Tamil Nadu


Connectivity


By Road

Pandharpur is 76 km from
Solapur Solapur () is a city located in the south-western region of the States and Territories of India, Indian state of Maharashtra, close to its border with Karnataka. Solapur is located on major highway, rail routes between Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore ...
, 136 km from
Sangli Sangli (ISO 15919, ISO: ''SÄá¹galÄ«''; ) is a metropolitan town and the headquarters of Sangli District in Maharashtra, in south-western India. It has earned the nickname "Turmeric City of India" for being the hub of the Asia's largest produ ...
, 210 km from
Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
and 360 km from
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
. MSRTC bus station is located in the central part of city and at just 1 km distance from Shri Vitthala-Rukmini Temple. Direct services to almost all parts of Maharashtra are available with the highest frequency to the cities of Solapur,
Sangli Sangli (ISO 15919, ISO: ''SÄá¹galÄ«''; ) is a metropolitan town and the headquarters of Sangli District in Maharashtra, in south-western India. It has earned the nickname "Turmeric City of India" for being the hub of the Asia's largest produ ...
and Pune. When it comes to other states, daily buses are available to different parts of Karnataka(mostly north Karnataka) and Hyderabad. Apart from this many private bus services operate daily between Pandharpur to Pune and Pandharpur to
Sangli Sangli (ISO 15919, ISO: ''SÄá¹galÄ«''; ) is a metropolitan town and the headquarters of Sangli District in Maharashtra, in south-western India. It has earned the nickname "Turmeric City of India" for being the hub of the Asia's largest produ ...
.


By Train

Pandharpur railway station has daily trains to Kurduwadi and Miraj junctions. Kolhapur-Nagpur Express is available twice a week on Monday and Friday. Daily direct train from
Sangli railway station Sangli railway station is a major railway station serving the city of Sangli in Maharashtra, India. It is classified as a Class A station within the Pune Railway Division of the Central Railway Zone under Indian Railways. Location and infrastr ...
to Pandharpur is also available daily night which is Sangli-Miraj-Parli Vaijnath express. Every Friday there is a train to Yeshwantpur (Bangalore), Daily there is a train to Mysore Via: Vijayapura, Gadag, Hubballi and Bengaluru. Dadar-Satara express running on Dadar-Pandharpur-Sangli-Satara also connects Pandharpur to Sangli, Bhilavdi, Kirloskarvadi, Karad, Masur, Satara.


By Air

Nearest International and domestic airports are
Pune Airport Pune Airport is an international airport and an Indian Air Force base serving the city of Pune, Maharashtra, India. It is located at Lohagaon, approximately northeast of the historic centre of Pune. The airport is a civil enclave operated ...
(210 km) and Kolhapur airport (180 km).


Tourism

Pandharpur is famous for its tourist destination for Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Mandir


References


External links


PANDHARPUR by Gazetteer's Dept
{{Solapur district topics Cities and towns in Solapur district Hindu holy cities Hinduism in Maharashtra Talukas in Maharashtra