Pandharpur ~ Pandharpur Temple

Pandharpur ~ Pandharpur Temple

Pandharpur is a town in district Solapur in state of Maharashtra in Western India. It is one of the most revered pilgrimage sites in Maharashtra. It is located 65 km west of Sholapur, on the banks of the river Bhima, which is also known as Chandrabhaga. Known as "Sourthern Kashi of India", Pandharpur proudly hosts the "Kuladivat" of Maharashtra State- Shree Vithoba and Rukmini, on the banks of the river.

The worship of Vishnu - Vitthala at Pandharpur is derived mainly from the puranas and has been augmented by the contribution of the great Vaishnava saints of Maharashtra and Karnataka from the 13th through the 17th centuries like Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Sant Eknath, Tukaram, Purandara Dasa, Vijaya Dasa, Gopala Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa, Chokhamela, Janabai and many others.

This temple, covering a vast area, has a total of six gates. The eastern entrance to this temple is known as the Namdev gate. The sanctum enshrines a standing image of Vithoba. Stylistically the image dates back to the 5th century BC. There are inscriptions in this temple dating back to the 13th century. In the temple of Vithoba, `Pad-Sparsha-Darshan`, is a special ceremony. Irrespective of caste any devotee can enter the sanctum sanctorum and can place his/ her head at the feet of Vitthal.


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