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Introduction
This travelogue takes you on a pilgrimage trail to some well known & some lesser known temples of Maharashtra. They include temples of Vitthala at Pandharpur, Tulja Bhavani at Tuljapur, Bhagwant at Barshi, Siddeshwar at Solapur, Alandi near Pune. From time immemorial Hindus have been undertaking pilgrimages to sacred shrines/ locations. They also attend the religious congregation like Kumbh Mela. These are either for fulfillment of some wish or for gathering punya to attain moksha (salvation) after death.
Some of the famous pilgrimages include the Char Dham yatra (Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri & Rameswaram). The Char Dham yatra of Uttarakhnand include Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri & Yamnotri. Likewise many Shiva devotees undertake the pilgrimage to the 12 Jyotirlingas. Devotees of Shakti try to fulfill their desire to visit the maximum number of 51 Shakti Peeths. Every State or region has its own yatras. They include Pandharpur wari & Asht Vinayak yatra of Maharashtra, Aiyappa Swamy pilgrimage in Kerala and Giriraj parikrama, Vrindavan.
Pandharpur
Vitthala, Vithoba, Panduranga or Pandarinath – you may address him by any name. For the common folks of Maharashtra & North Karnataka he remains their favourite God. He is an incarnation of Vishnu and in this part of India many people worship Krishna in this form. Pandharpur has the same importance attached to it as North Indians give to Mathura/Vrindavan. We had lived in Vishrantwadi area of Pune for a couple of years. The holy towns of Alandi & Dehu Road were not far from there and we visited Alandi several times. The great Saints of Maharashtra like Dnyaneshwar (Gynaeshwar), Eknath, Namdeo, Tukaram, Gajanan Maharaj & Purandaradas (Karnataka) were followers of Vitthala. Some of them have idolized Panduranga in their Abhangs. Even Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had spent a week at Pandharpur.
Dindi / Wari yatra by Varkaris
Every year thousands of Varkaris (devotees of Vitthala) make the annual pilgrimage called wari from Alandi & Dehu Road to Pandharpur. This pligrimage has been undergoing for several centuries. Vishrantwadi used to be their first resting point. We would go every year to get a glimpse of the palkhis (palanquins) carrying the silver padukas of Sant Dnyaneshwar (Gyaneshwar) & Sant Tukaram.
The Varkaris traverse the total distance of 250 kms on foot to Pandharpur in 21 days. More devotees join them on the way. The Varkaris are simple village folks who sing the owis/ abhangs of Sant Dnyaneshwar (Gyaneshwar) & Sant Tukaram. They also dance & chant Vitthala, Vitthala, Hari Om Vitthala all the way. Their fervour, devotion & discipline is worth appreciating. On the way, people arrange food, stay & medical facilities for them. They reach Pandharpur a day before the auspicious day of Asadhi Ekadashi. Next morning they take a holy dip in the Bhima river (also known as Chandrabhaga in Pandharpur due to its crescent shape there). Thereafter they patiently stand in the queue for hours to have darshan and seek blessings of Lord Vitthala for good monsoon & rich harvest.
Description of Lord Vitthala
As the pilgrim rests his eyes on Vitthala for the first time, what he sees is as follows:
Lord Vitthala or Panduranga is elegantly dressed in yellow and other bright colors. He wears around his neck a vaijayanti garland and tulasi, whose aroma permeates the darshan hall and the surrounding area. His right hand holds a lotus flower and his left a conchshell. On his chest, he bears the mark of Rishi Bhrigu’s foot. His ears are decorated with shark-shaped earrings, and on his forehead beneath his crown is a broad mark of a tilak. His smile is irresistibly enchanting. Each devotee who approaches him gets a glimpse of his peaceful, smiling face. And as he touches the feet of the deity, he considers this as the most blissful moment of life.
Hari Om Vitthala ! Jaya Jaya Ram Krishna Hari !
Lakhs of devotees congregate on Asadhi Ekadashi
As per estimates, on this day over half a million devotees gather in Pandharpur and over a million visit Pandharpur during the Asadhi month. The whole atmosphere is electrifying with the chants of ‘Vitthala, Vitthala, Bola Vitthala’ reverberating in the air. There is yatra during the Kartik month too but it is on a smaller scale.
Our visit to Pandharpur
It was our long standing desire to visit the holy land of Pandharpur. We couldn’t make the trip from Pune. So later we (I & my wife) made the trip by an over-night train from Mumbai. There is no direct express train to Pandharpur from Mumbai so we got down at Kurduvadi junction next morning. The station & platforms were spotlessly clean. A bus from there took us to Pandharpur in little over an hour (47 kms). We had done our online booking at Hotel Aishvarya which was at a distance of 1 km from the main shrine. The hotel had a new wing and the AC room turned out to be quite decent and the food & service were good. After freshening up and breakfast we took an auto rickshaw to the main shrine of Panduranga & Rakhumai. (This is the name of Rukmini here).
Mythological story of Panduranga
People from outside the state often wonder about the reason for depicting Lord Panduranga in the images & idols as standing akimbo. There is an interesting story behind this and the incarnation of Lord Vithhala at Pandharpur.
Story of Pundalik
Once Pundalik, a devotee of Krishna from Pandharpur, went on a pilgrimage to Kashi. On the way he spent the night at the ashram of holy & pious Rishi Kukkut. Pundalik asked the Rishi to tell him the way to Kashi. He was surprised because the Rishi didn’t know the way as he had never visited Kashi. When Pundalik got up in the morning he found three beautiful women cleaning the Ashram. They told him that they were Ganga, Yamuna & Saraswati and they come everyday to clean the Ashram. Pundalik wondered aloud that how could Rishi Kukkat be so pious & holy since he had not even visited Kashi. The three women told him that Sage Kukkat has devoted his life towards serving & nursing his old parents. As such he had done his good karma and accumulated enough punya to earn Moksha without even visiting the holy places.
Pundalik got the feeling of remorse as he had left behind his old parents at home despite they expressing their desire to go on Kashi yatra. He returned to his village and took his parents for yatra to Kashi. From that day he was a changed man. His life now revolved around taking care of his parents. Moved by his devotion towards his parents, Lord Krishna decided to visit Pundalik. When Lord Krishna arrived, Pundalik was serving food to his parents. He saw Krishna at the door but his devotion to his parents was so intense that he gave a brick to Lord Krishna and requested him to wait. Krishna was tired so he stood on the brick akimbo (with hands on the hips and elbows turned outwards). After his parents finished their food, Pundalik came to Krishna and asked for his forgiveness for keeping him waiting.
Boon to Pundalik
Lord Krishna was pleased with his devotion towards his parents and told him to ask a boon. Pundalik requested Krishna to remain on earth and take care of his devotees. Krishna agreed to stay in Pandharpur. He became famous as Vithoba, the Lord who stands akimbo on a brick.
Let us first take a pictorial tour of of Pandharpur before we talk about the temples of Pandharpur
Temples of Pandharpur
The main shrine is of Lord Vitthala & Rukmini. The street outside the main entrance leads to the Chandrabhaga river. At the main entrance there is a small temple dedicated to Bhakt Pundalik. Devotees have his darshan first.
Online booking for darshan is availble. One can book up to three days in advance. There are hourly slots available. Each slot has 500 persons . For those coming without online booking there is the general queue. Persons with online booking get to have darshan in an hour’s time while those in the general queue may take 5/6 hours and on special days up to 12 hours. This is the only temple where devotees go inside the sanctum to touch the feet of the deity and also hug him. In addition there are minor shrines dedicated to Ganesha, Garuda, Maruti, Datta, Narasimha, Shiva, Kal Bhairava, Laxmi Narayan, Kashi Viswanath & Khandoba etc.
Namdev Chi Payari
Sant Namdev was a great devotee of Lord Vitthala. Seeing his devotion, Vitthala appeared before him. Namdev requested Vitthala to allow him to be present in the ‘first step’ at the temple so that innumerable devotees would touch him before having the darshan of Shri Vitthala. So, this first step is called ‘Namdev Chi Payari.
Since we had done online booking for 12 noon slot we had darshan with no difficulty. We spent an hour inside the temple visiting the other shrines too. We visited several other interesting temples in Pandharpur and also spent sometime on the banks of river Chandrabhaga. The river bank definitely needs lot more cleanliness. As we had also booked for the night darshan, we had another darshan but this time within 30 mins.
Next morning we had an early breakfast at 7.30 am. We left Pandharpur for Tuljapur at a distance of 110 kms and it was a 2 hours drive. We hired a cab for the day.
Tulja Bhavani temple
Tulja Bhavani the Devi/ Goddess resides on a hillock in a fortress like temple at Tuljapur. Located about 45 kms from the city of Solapur the goddess has a large following. It is a Shakti Peeth and the temple dates to the 12th century. Out of the 51 Shakti Peeths of India, three and half Shakti Peeths are in Maharashtra. Tulja Bhavani temple is one of them. Marathas in Maharashtra and Rajputs in Rajasthan & Gujarat worship Durga in the form of Bhavani. She is the Kuldevi of many communities in Maharashtra.
Mythology behind Tulja Bhavani
The temple finds mention in the ‘Skanda Purana’. According to the epic story, there was a sage Kardam and his consort Anubhuthi with an infant, in this area. After his death, a demon by name Kukur tortured .Anubhuthi. She performed a penance and prayed to Goddess Bhavani to protect her child. Goddess Bhavani rescued Anubhuthi and killed the demon. Anubhati requested the goddess to settle on the hill of Bala ghat. Goddess agreed and she came to be called as Bhavani of Tuljapur or Tulja Bhavani. Another legend says that Goddess Bhavani vanquished the demon Madhu-Kaitabh here.
Bhavani is the family deity of the Bhosale Royal family. She was the Isht Devi of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He would always seek her blessings before going on any important expedition. Legends say that the Devi gave a sword called ‘Bhavani kadga’ to Chhatrapati Shivaji. The temple set in a large courtyard is impressive and thousands throng the temple every day to seek her blessings. It was a mission accomplished as we braved the Sunday crowd to have her darshan !! Jai Bhavani!!!
The main entrance of the temple bears the name of Sardar Nimbalkar. The other two entrances are named after the parents of Chhatrapati Shivaji – Raja Shahaji, and Rajmata Jijau.
Pictorial tour of Tulja Bhavani temple
Barshi
After spending 1.5 hours in Tuljapur we were on our way to Barshi at a distance of 70 kms. It took us 1.5 hours. Many of you may not have heard of this place. Barshi is a taluka town in Solapur district of Maharashtra.
Bhagwant temple
Not many know that this town is home to a 775 years old large & beautiful Vishnu temple. The uniqueness of this temple built in the Hemadpanthi style of architecture is that here Vishnu is represented as Bhagwant. The original temple was built in 1245 A.D. in Hemadpanthi style. Many renovations had taken place in later centuries. There are old records showing the grants released by Shri Nanasaheb Peshve in the year 1760. Even East India Company & British Government had given grants in the 18th & 19th centuries.
The deity idol of Bhagwant is made of black stone shaligram and it has sankh, chakra & gada. There is an idol of Raja Ambrish at the feet of Lord Bhagwant. Ambrish was a great devotee of Narayan. Narayan was pleased with his devotion & good deeds and granted him the protection of Sudarshan Chakra. As per the legends, there is Shivling on the forehead and footmark of Bhrigu Rishi on the chest of Bhagwant. It is said that Lakshmi got upset with Vishnu as he had accommodated others and there was no place for her. To please her Vishnu asked her to come on her back on the shoulders. The same idol has the face of Lakshmi on the back and it is seen in a mirror placed behind the idol !!
There are entrances to the temple from all the four directions. While the main temple is made of stone the forecourt of the temple is made of wood and looks impressive. This temple turned out to be a hidden treasure of Maharashtra. We spent nearly 1 hour in the temple. We left Barshi around 1.30 pm and were in Solapur by 2.45 pm (at a distance of 70 kms).
Pictorial tour of Bhagwant temple
Solapur
Earlier called Sholapur, the name of the city is now spelled as Solapur. After reaching Solapur we first had delicious South Indian snacks at Kamat Restaurant.
I had only known Solapur as being famous for cotton chaddars and towels. That it has a rich history associated with it came as a surprise to me. Solapur at different times in history has been ruled by Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Yadavas, Kalchuris & Bahamani dynasties respectively. It’s population is 15 lacs. It is close to Karnataka & Telengana borders,. So in addition to Maharashtrian culture, it also has the cultural influence of both these states. Besides textiles, Solapur district is a major producer of sugar & beedi.
Solapur fort or Bhuikot
Solapur has a fort known as Bhuikot fort (bhui means land and kot means fort). This fort was built on land as against the majority of other forts in Maharashtra built on hills). The historical records about the actual year of its construction is not available. It is believed that the fort was built in the 14th century by Bahamani dynasty. The fort later came under Adil Shahi dynasty. They made many additions/renovations in the fort. It is said that Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb had stayed in this fort for one year during his Deccan conquest. The fort later came under Maratha control. Peshwa Baji Rao II had also stayed here.
There is a well laid out garden inside the fort. It is enjoyable climbing the ramparts of the fort and getting a view of the surroundings & the lake. The rampart wall is very wide and one can easily take a walk around it. The fort also has an outer wall with a moat running all around. There are ruins of an ancient Hindu temple that in its hey days may have been a large impressive structure. A mosque & dargah within the premises were later additions. Two large cannons placed strategically in the garden welcome you as you enter the fort premises.
It is now under ASI and there is an entry fee of Rs 15. We spent nearly 1.5 hours exploring the fort. There were hardly any tourists. A beautiful garden known as Hutatama Baug has been developed around the fort.
The legend of Siddharam or Siddeshwar or Siddharameshwar
Siddharam or Siddeshwar or Siddharameshwar was a 12th century saint, mystic, poet & social reformer from Solapur. He is considered one among the 5 founders of Lingayat sect. It is an off shoot of Hinduism that believes in Shaivaism. Its proponents are today mainly found in Karnataka. Siddharam was an ardent devotee of Mallikarjun Swamy of Sri Sailam. As per legends, once on his way to Srisailam he had a dream. In the dream his Swamy asked him to go back to Solapur and install Shivalings. Siddharam returned and installed 68 Shivalings in Solapur. Being a social reformer, Siddharam encouraged inter-caste marriages and mass marriages. Solapur had problem of potable water. Siddharam along with his 4000 followers dug up a huge lake in Solapur. This beautiful water body is today the pride of Solapur.
Siddeshwar temple
This lake is home to a large Shiva temple known as Siddeshwar temple built in the 12th/13th century by funds given by one of the followers of Siddharam. The temple complex also houses the Jiva Samadhi of Siddharam. The lake surrounds the temple on all sides that adds to its beauty. The lake and its environs were clean. On one side is the backdrop of the Solapur fort. The view of the lake & the temple complex from the fort is stunning. There is a beautiful silver Nandi in the temple . Every year around Sankranti a 3 days fair is held in the temple. The entire temple looks beautiful as the lights come on. It presents a beautiful glittering sight amidst the lake!!
We spent nearly 1.5 hours in the temple premises and also participated in the evening Aarti.
I do not think there are many temples in India with such a beautiful setting but what surprises me is that very few people outside Solapur and Maharashtra knows about this temple.
Alandi
Alandi on the banks of Indrayani river is a holy town with a population of 35000, close to Pune. We took a late night train from Solapur and reached Pune at 4 a.m. Outside the station, we hired a cab and were in Alandi before 5 a.m. (a distance of 20 kms). A hotel near the Alandi temple agreed to give us room for 2 hours at a nominal cost. After freshening up, we had a cup of tea with biscuits. Thereafter, we were at the main shrine by 7 am for the morning abhishek & puja. We have visited this temple several times. We know the the main pujari at the temple. With prior intimation, he makes all the arrangements for the abhishek of Sant Dnyaneshwar (Gyaneshwar) samadhi.
This is yet another temple that people outside of Maharashtra are not much aware of. The Samadhi temple was built in 1570 CE and later additions were made during Peshwa era. The Siddeshwar Shiva temple in the complex is a very old one and had existed from even earlier than 13th century.
Sant Dnyaneshwar (Gyaneshwar)
Sant Dnyaneshwar (Gyaneshwar) is the famous 13th century Saint poet of Maharashtra. Mauli is the endearing term for him. He had written Dnyaneshwari (Gyaneshwari) in Marathi at a very young age which is a remarkable commentary on Bhagwad Gita. His other famous work is Amrutanubhav. These are the oldest surviving literary works in Marathi. Scholars consider them as milestones in Marathi literature. Gyaneshwari helped in making the masses understand the message of Bhagwad Gita. Alandi is the place where Sant Dnyaneshwar attained samadhi at the age of only 21. Besides his Samadhi mandir, there are temples of Vitthal & Rukhmai and Siddeshwar (Lord Shiva). This is yet another holy place of Maharashtra very popular among the village folks.
There is an old peepal tree in the temple premises. It is called Ajanvriksha tree. Devotees believe that Sant Dnyaneshwar went underground at this place in Samadhi. Devotees do several circumambulation of this tree.
As already mentioned earlier, it is one of the starting points of the Pandharpur wari. Sant Dhyaneshwar had undertaken this yatra and since then it has become a tradition. He was a Yogi of the Nath Vaishnava tradition. His philosophy believed in Advaita Vedanta and emphasized on Yoga and oneness of Vishnu & Shiva. He himself remained an ardent devotee of Vitthala. The later Saint-poets Eknath & Tukaram took inspiration from him. Scholars regard Sant Dnyaneshwar as one of the founders of Varkari Bhakti movement of Hinduism in Maharashtra. His elder brother Sant Nivruttinath was his guru.
We returned to Pune by 10 am and took a volvo bus to Mumbai.
Pictorial trip of Alandi
In conclusion
Neither of the temples we visited during this spiritual trip were majestic in size, magnificent in architecture or rich in carvings & sculptures. Yet, this pilgrimage was uplifting & a blissful experience in many ways. It brought us closer to the simple village folks of Maharashtra and provided us a wonderful opportunity to know the regional gods and a much better understanding of the many spiritual saints of Maharashtra. It inspired us to read & know more about the great saints of Maharashtra between the 13th & 19th centuries and their influence on people’s minds through their preaching & writings.
Some of the important saints of this period were Dnyaneshwar and his siblings, Namdeo, Eknath, Chokhamela, Tukaram, Ramdas Samarth, Sakhubai, Gulabrao Maharaj, Gajanan Maharaj etc. Many of them focussed on the bhakti of Vitthala while some like Swami Ramdas was a devotee of Ram & Hanuman. These saints did not believe in ritualism and caste system. They believed in the idea that god resides in the hearts of all the people. They also did not advocate renouncing the world to attain salvation. Many of them preached or wrote in simple Marathi which was easily understood by the general public at large. Their religious & cultural influence on the people of Maharashtra has been immense.
Quotation of Sant Dnyaneshwar (Gyaneshwar)
“Like the tree which gives the leaves, the flowers, the shade, the fruits and the roots without distinction; give to the needy with a cheerful heart. This is true charity” (translated from Marathi)
Accessibility & stay
All these places are easily accessible from Solapur & Pune. Alandi is very close to Pune. Solapur is well connected by train with major cities. The best way to visit these places is in a private vehicle or in a cab. One can make Solapur as the base and go to Pandharpur, Tuljapur & Barshi. There are decent hotels in Solapur. An overnight stay in Pandharpur is desirable. There are decent, reasonably priced hotels with AC rooms though none of the high end hotels are there. The best time to visit these hotels are the winter months.
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I have clicked all the pics (except as mentioned against the pic)
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Disclaimer:
I have made sincere efforts to provide you the correct information about all the places that have been culled out from various sources. As the historical records are very sketchy, I do not take any responsibility for any errors that might have crept in the narration. There is no intention to hurt the faith or religious sentiments of any person or community.
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