LORD PANDURANGA VITHAL OF PANDHARPUR

HISTORICITY

The temple is rich in historical evidence, richer in legends and richest in devotional literature. Inscriptional proofs consisting in grants made to the temple start from the 516 AD, when Avidhaya, a Rastrakuta king granted four villages to a Brahmin. Jayad vitha copper plate grant mentions this Pandharpur as Panduranapapalli. Next reference is made to the deity in 1236 AD. It was when Hoyasala king Someswar made a grant of the village-Hiria Caranj to the deity. Later in 1237 AD another epigraph bears evidence in the form of Chauryaishicha Lekha with philanthropists and devotees making many donations to the temple. There is evidence that this temple lured many Kannada bhaktas particularly, due to its being a part of the Hoyasala Kingdom, then extending beyond this place. There is a conjuncture that Hoyasala Vishnu Vardhan alias Bittideva built this temple at the request of the theists. When he visited this place, during his northerly campaigns, he named the deity Vithal, a derivation of Bittideva, and it is in accordance with the tradition of naming of the shrine and deity after the builder. The name Vithal, may or may not represent Bitti deva, but there is ample proof to show that Hoyasalas made several kinds of endowments to the temple. Next donors of great importance are the Marathas and a few Sardars too. Chatrapati Rajarama, the grand son of Shivaji made annual grants for conducting the regular worship. His successors followed suit. Sahu too donated to the temple in several ways. The sanads elaborately describe the growth of temple, since the ruling princes settled many cases referred to them by a wide varieties of temple sevakaris like Badavas, Danges, Divitties etc., whenever the snaring of temple revenue presented problems. The Bhosales and Peshwas intervened to set right the troubles of many kinds. All these references bear dates and details. So, achieves furnish enough evidence of this temple's history from the sixth century onwards.

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