Lord Vitthal — also called Vithoba and Panduranga — is a form of Krishna worshipped above all at Pandharpur in Maharashtra. This page covers the story of Pundalik and the brick, the Vitthal-Rukmini temple, the Warkari saints and the great Pandharpur Wari pilgrimage.
Who Is Lord Vitthal?
Vitthal, also known as Vithoba and Panduranga, is a form of Krishna, himself an avatar of Vishnu. He is worshipped chiefly in Maharashtra and northern Karnataka, and his principal temple stands at Pandharpur on the banks of the Chandrabhaga (Bhima) river in Solapur district. Vitthal is shown standing on a brick with his hands on his hips, beside his consort Rukmini, lovingly called Rakhumai in Marathi.
What Is the Story of Pundalik and the Brick?
The story centres on a devotee named Pundalik, renowned for his devoted service to his aged parents. Moved by that devotion, Krishna came to Pandharpur to visit him. Pundalik, busy caring for his parents, did not stop; instead he tossed a brick (vit) towards the god and asked him to wait on it until his service was done.
Pleased rather than offended, Krishna stood waiting on the brick with his hands on his hips — and, tradition says, remains there still, as Vitthal. The name is popularly explained as “the one who stands on a brick”. The famous Marathi aarti describes him as “yuge atthavis vitevari ubha” — standing on the brick for twenty-eight ages. The story teaches that serving one’s parents is itself worship.
What Is the Vitthal-Rukmini Temple at Pandharpur?
The Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Mandir at Pandharpur is the most important Vaishnava temple in Maharashtra and draws millions of pilgrims a year. Vitthal and Rukmini have separate shrines within the temple complex. The temple is administered by a temple committee, the Shri Vitthal Rukmini Mandir Samiti.
For pilgrims, the Shri Vitthal Rukmini Bhakta Niwas offers accommodation near the temple, and the temple committee provides live darshan online and darshan passes for devotees who cannot travel. Check the official temple website for current arrangements and timings.
Who Are the Warkari Saints?
The Warkari sampradaya, the devotional tradition centred on Vitthal, produced many of Maharashtra’s greatest poet-saints. Sant Dnyaneshwar (13th century) wrote the Dnyaneshwari, a Marathi commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. Sant Namdev, his contemporary, carried Vitthal’s name across India; some of his verses are included in the Sikh Guru Granth Sahib. Sant Tukaram (17th century) composed thousands of abhangs, devotional songs still sung daily. Other saints of the tradition include Eknath, Janabai, Gora Kumbhar and Chokhamela, who came from many different castes — reflecting the tradition’s emphasis on equality before God.
What Is the Pandharpur Wari?
The Pandharpur Wari is one of the largest pilgrimages in India. Each year, hundreds of thousands of Warkaris walk for around three weeks to Pandharpur, arriving for Ashadhi Ekadashi (in June or July). They accompany palkhis — palanquins carrying the silver padukas (sandals) of the saints — most famously Sant Dnyaneshwar’s from Alandi and Sant Tukaram’s from Dehu, singing abhangs along the way. A second major pilgrimage takes place for Kartiki Ekadashi (October or November).
Why Are Vitthal and Rakhumai Worshipped Together?
Vitthal and Rakhumai are at the heart of Maharashtrian devotion, affectionately addressed as Vithu-mauli — “mother Vitthal” — reflecting the saints’ vision of God as a loving parent. Every darshan of the divine pair reaffirms, for devotees, the bond between God and devotee.
Respect for Vitthal and Rukhumai
At the heart of Maharashtrian culture and spirituality lies the divine pair of Vitthal and Rukhumai. The idols of Vitthal and Rukmini in the Vitthoba temple symbolize their eternal love and the grace they bestow upon their devotees. Every visit to the temple, and every glimpse of a photo of Lord Vitthal, reaffirms the unbreakable bond between the divine and the devotee.
Yeii ho Vitthale maajhe Mauli ye ॥
Yeii ho Vitthale maajhe Mauli ye.
Nidhalavari kar thevunii vaat mi paahe. ॥ Dhru० ॥
Yeii ho Vitthale maajhe Mauli ye.
Aaliya geliya haatin dhaadi nirop,
Pandharpurin aahe maazha Maaybaap. ॥ Yeii ho ॥ 1 ॥
Yeii ho Vitthale maajhe Mauli ye.
Pivla Peetambar kaisa gaganin jhalakla,
Garudavari baisoni maazha Kaivari aala. ॥ Yeii ho ॥ 2 ॥
Yeii ho Vitthale maajhe Mauli ye.
Vithobache raajya aamha nitya Deepavali,
Vishnudaas Naamaa jeeven bhaaven owaali. ॥ Yeii ho ॥ 3 ॥
Pandharpuratil Vitthal Dev Rakhumai chi Aarti
Yuge atthavees vitevari ubha,
Vaamangi Rakhumai dise divya shobha.
Pundalikache bheti Parabrahma aale ga,
Charani vaahe Bhima uddhaari jaga. ॥1॥
Jai Dev Jai Dev Jai Panduranga,
Rakhumaai-vallabha, Raichya vallabha, paave jivalaga. ॥Dhr.॥
Tulsi mala gala kar thevuni kati,
Kaanshe peetambar kasturi lallati,
Dev survar nitya yeti bheti,
Garud Hanumant pudhe ubhe rahati.
Jai Dev. Jai Dev. ।।2।।
Dhanya Venunaad Anukshetrapala.
Suvarnaachi Kamale Vanmala Gala.
Rai Rakhumabai Raniya Sakala.
Owaliti Raja Vithoba Sawala.
Jai Dev. ।।3।।
Ovaalu aartya Vithoba Saawala ।।
Jai Dev ।।3।।
Ovāḷū āratyā kurvaḍyā yetī,
Chandrabhāge mājī soḍuniyā detī.
Dinḍyā patākā Vaishṇav nāchatī,
Pandharīchā mahimā varṇāvā kitī.
Jai Dev. ।।4।।
Aashaadhi Kaartiki bhaktjan yeti,
Chandrabhage madhye snaan je kariti.
Darshan hela maatren taya hoy mukti,
Keshavaasi Naamdev bhaave omvaliti.
Jai Dev Jai Dev. ॥5॥
Vitthal Aarti meaning in english:
युगे अठ्ठावीस विटेवरी उभा ।
वामांगी रखुमाई दिसे दिव्य शोभा ।
पुंडलिकाचे भेटी परब्रह्म आले गा ।
चरणी वाहे भीमा उद्धरी जगा ।। १ ।।
Vitthal of Pandharpur stands on a brick, steadfast since twenty-eight yugas.
By His left side stands Rukhumai, and with their divine radiance, Pandharpur is illuminated.
The Supreme Being, Vitthal, drawn by Pundalik’s devotion, has made His abode here in Pandhari.
At His sacred feet flows the Bhima river, ever ready to uplift and redeem His devotees. || 1 ||
जय देव जय देव जय पांडुरंगा ।
रखुमाईवल्लभा, राईच्या वल्लभा पावे जिवलगा ।।
जय देव जय देव ।। धृ० ।।
O Lord Panduranga, may your glory be praised!
O beloved husband of Rakhumai and Rahi, my dearest companion of life,
Please keep your gracious gaze upon me — this is my humble request at your feet!
(The wives of the gods are symbols of their divine energy (Shakti). They manifest in two forms — as saviors (Tarak) and as destroyers (Marak). Vitthal, who is the god of sustenance among the three aspects of creation, preservation, and dissolution, has two powers associated with creation and preservation.)
।। धृपद ।।
तुळसीमाळा गळा कर ठेवुनी कटी ।
कासे पीतांबर कस्तुरी लल्लाटी ।
देव सुरवर नित्य येती भेटी ।
गरुड हनुमंत पुढे उभे रहाती ।। २ ।।
Vitthala has adorned a tulsi (holy basil) garland around His neck and has both hands placed on His waist. He wears a yellow pitambar (silken cloth) around His waist, and a tilak of musk (kasturi) adorns His forehead. Great deities visit daily to behold this divine form of the Supreme Being in the form of Vitthala. Garuda and Hanuman always stand before Vitthala with folded hands in reverence.
धन्य वेणूनाद अनुक्षेत्रपाळा ।
सुवर्णाची कमळे वनमाळा गळा ।
राई रखुमाबाई राणीया सकळा ।
ओवाळिती राजा विठोबा सावळा ।। ३ ।।
While performing the aarti, devotees dedicate it at the feet of Lord Panduranga. They joyfully bring kurvandya — small leaf bowls decorated with little lamps. After offering the aarti, these are immersed in the sacred waters of the Chandrabhaga River.
The Vaishnavas, carrying dindis (pilgrim processions), arrive and dance, lost in divine ecstasy, forgetting their physical selves amid the thunder of flags. Describing the unique glory of Pandharpur is impossible—it is beyond words.
।। ४ ।।
ओवाळू आरत्या कुर्वंड्या येती ।
चंद्रभागेमाजी सोडुनिया देती ।
दिंड्या पताका वैष्णव नाचती ।
पंढरीचा महिमा वर्णावा किती ।। ४ ।।
Devotees bring lit earthen lamps to offer for the Aarti of Pandurang. After performing the Aarti, they immerse the lamps in the Chandrabhaga river. The processions are underway, with Vaishnavite devotees holding flags, dancing with complete abandon, forgetting their physical selves. How much can one describe the glory of Pandharpur? It is impossible to capture it in words! ॥ 4 ॥
आषाढी कार्तिकी भक्तजन येती ।
चंद्रभागेमध्ये स्नान जे करिती ।
दर्शनहेळामात्रे तया होय मुक्ति ।
केशवासी नामदेव भावे ओवाळिती ।। ५ ।।
(O Panduranga,) Every year, on Ashadhi and Kartiki Ekadashi, millions of your devotees come to Pandharpur, take a holy bath in the Chandrabhaga with devotion, have your darshan, and through your grace, they attain liberation. (How immense is the glory of your grace!)
O Keshava, Namdev is offering the aarti with devotion at your feet. (May your grace always be upon them, this is the prayer at your feet!) ॥ 5 ॥
Vitthal Aarti meaning in english
Watch Yei Oh Vitthale | 🕉️येई ओ विठ्ठले माझे माऊली ये! | Vitthal Aarti in Marathi | विठ्ठल आरती
Read more about Lord Krishna, of whom Vitthal is a form.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Who is Lord Vitthal?
Lord Vitthal, also called Vithoba and Panduranga, is a form of Krishna, himself an avatar of Vishnu, worshipped mainly in Maharashtra and northern Karnataka. His principal temple is at Pandharpur on the Chandrabhaga river, where he is shown standing on a brick with his hands on his hips beside his consort Rukmini, called Rakhumai.
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Why does Vitthal stand on a brick?
According to tradition, when Krishna came to visit his devotee Pundalik, Pundalik was busy serving his aged parents and tossed a brick for the god to wait on until he had finished. Krishna stood on the brick with his hands on his hips and remains there as Vitthal; the Marathi aarti says he has stood so for twenty-eight ages.
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Where is the main Vitthal temple?
The main Vitthal temple is the Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Mandir at Pandharpur, on the banks of the Chandrabhaga (Bhima) river in Solapur district, Maharashtra. It is the most important Vaishnava temple in Maharashtra and draws millions of pilgrims a year, with separate shrines for Vitthal and Rukmini.
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What is the Pandharpur Wari?
The Pandharpur Wari is an annual walking pilgrimage in which hundreds of thousands of Warkari devotees walk for around three weeks to Pandharpur for Ashadhi Ekadashi, in June or July. They accompany palanquins carrying the padukas of saints, most famously Sant Dnyaneshwar’s from Alandi and Sant Tukaram’s from Dehu, singing abhangs.
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Which saints worshipped Vitthal?
Vitthal was worshipped by the saints of Maharashtra’s Warkari tradition, including Sant Dnyaneshwar, the 13th-century author of the Dnyaneshwari; his contemporary Sant Namdev, some of whose verses are in the Guru Granth Sahib; and Sant Tukaram, the 17th-century composer of thousands of abhangs. Eknath, Janabai and Chokhamela also belonged to the tradition.
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What is the Warkari sampradaya?
The Warkari sampradaya is the devotional tradition of Maharashtra centred on Lord Vitthal of Pandharpur. Its followers, called Warkaris, sing abhangs, keep Ekadashi fasts and make the regular wari pilgrimage to Pandharpur, and the tradition is known for welcoming devotees of every caste as equals before God.
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Who is Rakhumai?
Rakhumai is the affectionate Marathi name for Rukmini, the chief queen of Krishna, worshipped at Pandharpur as the consort of Vitthal. She has her own shrine within the Vitthal-Rukmini temple complex, and devotees address the divine couple together as Vitthal-Rakhumai.
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When are the main Vitthal festivals?
The main Vitthal festivals are Ashadhi Ekadashi, in June or July, when the Pandharpur Wari pilgrimage arrives, and Kartiki Ekadashi, in October or November, the second great pilgrimage to Pandharpur. Many devotees also fast on every Ekadashi in Vitthal’s honour.
