The Antiquity of Pandharpur
By Bhaskar Anand Saletore
Summary
The article explores the antiquity of Pandharpur, a major pilgrimage site in Maharashtra associated with the god Vithoba (Vitthala). It notes that Pandharpur is absent from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, suggesting it was not recognised as a holy centre in epic times. The author surveys references in Purana literature and medieval Marathi bhakti poetry that extol the temple of Vitthala. Epigraphic evidence includes inscriptions from the Yadava period mentioning Panduranga‑sthanaka, while archaeological finds indicate occupation during the Yadava and Bahmani periods. The article compares the iconography of Vitthala with Vaishnava imagery elsewhere and proposes that the cult may have originated in Karnataka before spreading northwards. The increasing popularity of the Pandharpur pilgrimage during the 13th–16th centuries is attributed to Varkari saints like Namdev and Tukaram. The author concludes that the site's rise as a major pilgrimage centre occurred in the medieval period and reflects the diffusion of regional Vaishnavism.
Conclusion
By scrutinising textual and inscriptional sources, the article argues that Pandharpur’s sanctity is relatively late. Its absence from early Hindu literature and its emergence in Yadava records imply that the site gained prominence in the medieval era. Nevertheless, the town has since become central to Maharashtrian devotional culture.