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Kanarese literature of the sixteenth century contains various reference to Vitthal and Pandhapur. The later records belong mainly to the Maratha period. These relate to donations, grants, and the management and administration of the temple. The Bhosale rulers and the Peshwas and various Maratha generals and sardars visited the shrine often. The first known royal annual grant to the temple from the Maratha period was made by Chhatrapati Rajarama, the grandson of Shivaji. He assigned one hundred and eighty hons for the worship and other rites of the god. After Shahu's accession the original ’sanad' was brought to him for renewal and he renewed the grant in January 1707.
Apart from these grants, the second set of papers deals with the disputes between the various types of priests or sevakaris of the temple. The Badave, Dange, Dingare etc. constantly quarrelled with each other regarding their respective duties and the shares in the temple revenues. The latest of the series of judgments delivered by the Satara Chhatrapatis, that settled these matters, is dated 1838. The king had made a careful examination of all the previous records and on the basis of that made the settlement which touched practically all the points of dispute. Then there are orders to local political agents to construct a ghat or a mansion, to make proper arrangements for the sanitation and peace and tranquillity of the kshetra or to close down a liquor-bar that wasflourishing at the place.
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