Pandharpur

Pandharpur (Pronunciation: [pəɳɖʱəɾpuːɾ]), also Pandaripuram is a popular pilgrimage town, on the banks of Chandrabhagā River, near Solapur city in Solapur District, Maharashtra, India. Its administrative area is one of eleven tehsils in the District, and it is an electoral constituency of the state legislative assembly (vidhan sabha). The Vithoba temple attracts about a million Hindu pilgrims during the major yātrā (pilgrimage) in Ashadha (June–July). Kasegaon is the largest village in pandharpur talukas.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, 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 Tukārām, Sant Nāmdev, Sant Eknāth, Sant Nivruttināth, Sant Muktābai, Sant Chokhāmel̥ā, Sant Savatā Māli, Sant Narhari Sonār, Sant Gorā Kumbhār, Sant Meerā Bai and Sant Gajānan Mahāraj are a few of those prominent saints.

Name

The first undisputed mention of Pandharpur (Paṇḍharpūr) is a 1236 inscription that refers to the village of Paṇḍarage, on the bank of the Bhīmarathī river. This name is derived from the Kannada word paṇḍara, meaning "pandal", with the Kannada possessive suffix -ge. Pandharpur was also historically known as Pāṇḍuraṅgapura, first attested in an inscription dated to June 1270 describing a sacrifice taking place in "the splendid city of Pāṇḍuraṅgapura". The name Pāṇḍuraṅgapura comes from Pāṇḍuraṅga, an alternate name for the god Viṭhobā, or Viṭṭhala, who has been closely associated with Pandharpur since at least the 13th century. Shobhana Gokhale has suggested that the name Pāṇḍuraṅga may itself be a Sanskritised form of the Kannada name Paṇḍarage.

An inscription dated to the year 516 that mentions a village called Pāṇḍaraṅgapalli had also been identified with Pandharpur, but this was disputed by Vasudev Vishnu Mirashi, who according to archaeologists M. S. Mate and M. K. Dhavalikar, had "proved conclusively" that Pāṇḍaraṅgapalli did not refer to Pandharpur.

History

Small-scale archaeological excavation by Mate and Dhavalikar in 1968 found no evidence of occupation at the site before the 1200s, during the Yadava period. Evidence from this earliest phase of settlement consisted of one or two structures with a double hearth, along with various pottery fragments. Slightly older than this, though, is an inscription in the Vithoba temple dated to the year 1189, which states that a small shrine to Vithoba was set up that year for the first time. Thus, according to Shima Iwao, the origins of Vithoba worship at Pandharpur cannot be much older than this period.

The earliest undisputed epigraphic mentions of Pandharpur itself date from the 1200s as well: the 1236 inscription referring to the village of Paṇḍarage, which describes the construction of a temple gateway by the reigning monarch, and the 1270 inscription referring to the city of Pāṇḍuraṅgapura, which refers to a sacrifice taking place here. Further inscriptions dated to 1273-77 record the construction of a temple to Vithoba on the site of the earlier shrine — that is, on the site of the present temple.

From this point on, references to Pandharpur in literary and administrative documents become commonplace.

In the era of Adilshahi, 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.

Śrīdhar Nāzarekar, described in the late 1800s as "the most universally beloved of all Marathi poets", lived in Pandharpur, and he wrote most of his major works here between approximately 1690 and 1720; he later died here in 1729. Among his works was the Pāṇḍuranga-Māhātmya, which largely consists of "an annotated list of all the holy places of Pandharpur, giving the stories associated with them and an account of the merits to be acquired by visiting them". However, very few of the places listed by Śrīdhar as part of the early-1700s version of the Pandharpur Vari are identifiable today.

In the second half of the 18th century under the Marathas the temple and town was rebuilt under the Peshwas of Pune, Scindia of Gwalior and Holkar of Indore.

Geography

Pandharpur is located on the western bank of the Bhima river, which is locally known as the Chandrabhaga. This area is one of the driest parts of Maharashtra, averaging about 250 to 300 mm of rain each year, and large trees are sparse except along the riverbank. This area is more prone to drought and bad harvests than most of the rest of the state.

Mahadwar

Mahadwar is main locality in the city and a market place. Mahadwar leads to main ghāt of Pandharpur that is "Mahadwar ghat". There is temple of Bhakta Pundalik on the ghāt.

It is said that Krishna 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 and thus is also knows as Vitthala. So in ārati of vitthal it is mentioned "yuge atṭhāvis (28), viṭhevari ubhā".

Significance

There are many other ancient scriptures that elaborate the importance of Vitthala.

Chandogya Upanishad: The fourth chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad, has one of the source of the ancient tradition of Shri Vitthala's worship. It contains the story of King Janśhruti 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 Bhimā. The name of this pilgrimage is Bindutirth, and the name of the local deity is Bindumādhav. There, the God who gives the blessings of material and spiritual prosperity still lives."

Padma Purana: The meaning of Pānduranga or Viṭthala is explained in Varāha samhitā of Padma Purana. Devrishi Nārada narrates to Ādiśeṣa about arrival of Pānduranga in Pandharpur, It explains the background and significance of Vitthala's brick-standing at Pandharpur and origin of the Bhima River. Additionally, it provides information on Pandharpur's different gods and deities. Neera Narasinḥpur is as holy as Prayāga, Korti or Vishnupad is as holy as Gayā, and Pandharpur is as holy as Kāśī. Therefore, a trip to Pandharpur could result in the blessings of the pilgrimage to these three locations. This is where Gaya śhraddha and Kāshi yātra rituals can be carried out.

Skanda Purana: Shiva narrates to Pārvati, "This place is spiritually fruitful three times more than Puṣhkara, six times more than Kedārnāth, ten times more than Vārānasi and many more times than Śriśaila. Performing Yātra, Vāri, and Dān 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 is to the east, Siddheshvar of Machanoor is to the south, Bhuvaneshvar is to the west, and Mahiśhāsūrmardini is to the north at the internal gate. To the east of the exterior gates are Trivikarms of Ter, Koteshvar of Krishnatir Shorpalaya Kśhetra, Mahālakśhmī of Kolhāpur and Narsinḥa of Neera narasinhapur.

Vishnu is regarded to reside here with his nine celestial attributes. Vimalā, Uttkarshani, Dyan, Kriyā, Yoga, Pavi, Satyā, Eshana, and Anugraha are the names of those nine powers. Garuḍh (the eagle) stands in front of the Pānduranga statue, with Brahmā and Sanakadika to its right and the eleven Rudras and Shiva to its left. All of the gods, including Indra, 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 Pānduranga darshan, praising Panduranga in front of him, dancing in the rangshala, visiting the temple for darshan during dhupārti, cleaning the temple grounds, etc. The text clarifies the significance of the Pandharpur shrines Kundal Tirtha and Padma Tirtha.

Balarāma also arrived and served the deity, along with Dhaumya Rishi and Yudhiṣhṭhira and all of his brothers. In Pandharpur, Rukmini served the deity and gave birth to Pradyumna. The effects of the river Bhima's entry into Pandhari, Pandhari's protector Shri Bhairava, 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.[clarification needed] 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, 136 km from Sangli, 210 km from Pune and 360 km from Mumbai. 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 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.

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 to Pandharpur is also available daily night which is Sangli-Miraj-Parli Vaijnath express. Every Friday there is a train to Yeshwantpur (Bengaluru), 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 (210 km) and Kolhapur airport (180 km).

Tourism

Pandharpur is notable for its tourist destination of Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Mandir.