Pandharpur |
About: |
Pandharpur is located in a place, which is 65 km away from Sholapur on the banks of river Bhimarathi. This place is one of the most revered pilgrimage sites in Maharashtra.Also known by the other names, Pandurang, Vitthal or Pandhari, it is supposed to be The Supreme God of The Universe for all the Maharashtrians and an incarnation of Lord Shiva and Vishnu. The word Vitthala is derived from the word Vishnu in Kannada. Panduranga is a sanskritized form of Pandarga, the old name of Pandharpur. Pundalik, a saint was closely associated with this shrine, and hence this shrine is also known as Pundarika pura. PandharpurMaharashtra(Pandharpur is also spelled as Pandarpur)Overview Attractions Map How to reach Weather A devout centre on the banks of River Bhima, Pandharpur in the state of Maharashta boast of a rare combination of tradition and history. Famed as the religious capital of Maharashtra state, this quite town speaks about the grace of a benevolent God,who descended down to earth to be with his ardent devotee. At Pandharpur, every Wednesday is regarded as an auspicious day and Ekadashi- auspicious day of the month. Pandharpur hosts four "Yatras" in a year. Out of which "Aashadhi Yatra", Kartiki, Magh and Chaitra Ekadashi`s are celebrated yearly and it thus, attracts the most pilgrims to Pandharpur. Out of these, 1st two attract a crowd of about 8 to 10 lakhs.Here,thepalanquins(Palkhis) of various saints from different locations come together at Wakhri, 5 kilometers away from Pandharpur. And then, thepilgrims take holy bath in river Bhima and usually stand in queues 3km long in order to take "Darshana" of Lord Vitthala. The temple with its 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 also known as Panduranga, Pandhari or Vitthala. The importance of Solapur is unique in the history of India in the sense that this district enjoyed the freedom even before independence. The citizens of Solapur enjoyed the Independence for three days from 9th to 11th May 1930. The brief history runs like this. After the arrest of Mahatma Gandhi in May 1930, protests and demonstrations against the British Rule were held throughout the India. Large scale rallies and protests were done at Solapur also. Many citizens lost their lives in the Police firings. Due to this the irate mob attacked the Police Stations. Out of fear the Police and other officers ran out of Solapur. The image dates back to the 5th century. There are inscriptions in this temple dating back to the 13th century. Namdev, the 13th century saint was closely associated with this temple. Copper plate inscriptions of the Rashtrakootas place this shrine in the 6th century. There is also a shrine to Pundalik at Pandharpur. |
Location info: |
Address:Kuldaivat,Maharashtra,India |
District: Solapur |
Nearest City: Pune |
Best time to visit: October to March |
Climate/Weather: |
Summers 22°- 40°C. Winters 12°-33°C |
History: |
The Solapur District was ruled by various dynasties such as Andhrabhratyas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Yadavas and Bahamanis. Recent research work however shows that the name Solapur is not derived from the congregation of sixteen villages. It is evident from the inscriptions of Shiva yogi Shri Siddheshwar of the time of the Kalachuristis of Kalyani, that the town was called `Sonnalage` which came to be pronounced as `Sonnalagi`. A Sanskrit inscription dated Shake 1238, after the downfall of the Yadavas found at Kamati in Mohol shows that the town was known as Sonalipur. During the Muslim period, the town was known as Sandalpur. Subsequently the British rulers pronounced Solapur as Sholapur and hence the name of the district. Solapur District, MaharashtraThe present Solapur district was previously part of Ahmednagar, Pune and Satara districts. In the year 1838 it became the Sub-district of Ahmednagar. After the State reorganization in 1956 Solapur was included in Mumbai State and it became a full-fledged district of Maharashtra state in 1960. During this period the responsibility of law, order and security of citizens was on the shoulders of congress party leaders. Then city congress President Shri.Ramkrishna Jaju, with his other congressmen maintained the law and order for a period of three days from 9th to 11th May 1930. Secondly, the Solapur Municipal Council was the first Municipal Council of India to host the National Flag on the Municipal Council building (Now Municipal Corporation) Solapur in 1930. |
Interesting things to do: |
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 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. |
Interesting things to Visit: |
Lakshmi temple: Pundalik Temple: Vishnupad Temple : |
Mobile range info: |
How to reach? |
Nearest Railway Station:Pandharpur railwaysatation |
Nearest Airport:Kolhapur,Solapure airport |
Road Transport:There is regular bus service from cities like Pune, Solapur, Kolhapur etc |
Nearest Visiting places: |
Siddheshwar Temple and lake: Akkalkot: Gangapur: |
Nearest Petrol Pump: |
Reliance Petrol Pump:, Near S.T. Stand, Pandharpur Rajput Petrol Pump:Pune Road Pandharpur Naval Petrol Pump:Solapur ,Maharashtra |
Hotels/Lodge/Accommodation: |
Ashwamadh Hotel :Pandharpur,Solapur ,Maharashtra Hotel ChaitanyaAddress:Keshav Nagar Mundhwa, Pune, Maharashtra |
Things to carry: |
Tips & Suggestions: |
Help Line/Phone Number: |
Police Station:100 |
Nearest Hospital: Ambika Hospital:solapur, Maharashtra Joshi Hospital:Vijapur road,solapur, Maharashtra |
Society/Community Phone Number Link: www.maharashtra-tourism.com/pilgrimage/pandharpur.htm |