Pandharpur, Maharashtra ( Kashi of the West - Dakshin Kashi )
River Chandrabhaga ( wikipedia )
One of the most visited and revered pilgrimage towns of Maharashtra is the holy town of Pandharpur in the district of Sholapur.
Area - 25 sq.km
Local language - Marathi
Population - 98,000 as per the 2011 Census
How to get there -
Connected by airways to Pune and Kolhapur
Pandharpur railway station lies on the Kurduwadi - Miraj route of the Central Railways.
About 72 kilometers by road from Solapur.
It's religious importance in the life of a devotee of Lord Vitthal ( Vithoba ) cannot be emphasized enough.
Pandharpur lies on the bank of the river Bhima.
Here ,Bhima appears like a crescent moon hence it's called Chandrabhaga ( Part of the moon ).
The main attraction in a visit to Pandharpur is the Lord Vithoba temple named
Shri Vitthal is a manifestation of Lord Vishnu / Lord Krishna predominantly worshipped by the people of the Varkari community of Maharashtra.
The Varkari Sants down the centuries have dedicated and composed a unique devotional genre called the Abhang , a form of Marathi poetry that embodies their love,reverence, faith and unending devotion to the Lord Vitthal , who is lovingly referred to as a mother ( माऊली ) to them.
Abhangs and devotional songs of Sant Tukaram, Sant Muktabai, Sant Eknath,Sant Namdeo, Sant Dnyaneshwar, Sant Chokhamela, Sant Gajanan Maharaj, Sant Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sant Gora Kumbhar,Sant Nivruttinath ,Sant Satava Mali are an integral part of Marathi devotional literature.
Apart from the iconic Vithoba temple, Pandharpur has quite a few other temples and holy Ghats that attract a religious visitor.
These include the following -
Bhakt Pundalik Temple
Kaikadi Maharaj Mandir
Darshan Mandap
Tulsi Vrindavan
ISKCON Pandharpur, Shree Shree Radha Pandharinath Mandir
Vishnupad Temple
Tukaram Khedlekar Ashram
Chandrabhaga New Bridge.
Wakhari
Khardi
The main festivals celebrated here are the Aashadi Ekadashi, Kartiki Ekadashi, Diwali , Dussehra, Gudi Padwa, Ram Navami.
Major Festival period -
Aashadhi Ekadashi ( June - July )
Kartiki Ekadashi ( November )
Places to stay include a number of five star hotels, budget hotels, lodges, dharamshalas.
Best time to visit ( Weather wise ) - October to February
