Sant Dnyaneshwar, also referred to as Dnyaneshwar, Dnyanadeva, Dnyandev or Mauli or Dnyaneshwar Vitthal Kulkarni (1275–1296), was a 13th-century Indian Marathi saint, poet, philosopher and yogi of the Nath and Varkari tradition. In his short life of 21 years, he authored Dnyaneshwari and Amrutanubhav. These are the oldest surviving literary works in the Marathi language, and considered to be milestones in Marathi literature. Sant Dnyaneshwar's ideas reflect the non-dualistic Advaita Vedanta philosophy and an emphasis on Yoga and bhakti towards Vithoba, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. His legacy inspired saint-poets such as Eknath and Tukaram, and he is one of the founders of the Varkari (Vithoba-Krishna) Bhakti movement tradition of Hinduism in Maharashtra. Dnyaneshwar undertook samadhi at Alandi in 1296 by entombing himself in an underground chamber.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj, also known as Tuka, Tukobaraya, Tukoba, was a Hindu, Marathi Saint of Varkari sampradaya" in Dehu village, Maharashtra in the 17th century. He was a bhakt of the god Vithoba of Pandharpur. He is best known for his devotional poetry called Abhanga, which are popular in Maharashtra, many of his poems deals with social reform.
Alandi is a town and a municipal council in the Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India. The town is popular as a place of pilgrimage and for being the resting place of the 13th century Marathi saint Sant Dnyaneshwar.
Pandharpur is a Popular pilgrimage town, on the banks of Chandrabhagā River, near Solapur city in Solapur District, Maharashtra, India. Its administrative area is one of eleven tehsils in the District, and it is an electoral constituency of the state legislative assembly. The Vithoba temple attracts about a million Hindu pilgrims during the major yātrā (pilgrimage) in Ashadha (June–July).
Mahipati was an 18th century Marathi language hagiographer who wrote biographies of prominent Hindu Vaishnava sants who had lived between the 13th and the 17th centuries in Maharashtra and other regions of India.
Warkari is a sampradaya within the bhakti spiritual tradition of Hinduism, geographically associated with the Indian state of Maharashtra. Warkaris worship Vitthal, the presiding deity of Pandharpur, regarded as a form of Vishnu. Saints and gurus of the bhakti movement associated with the Warkaris include Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Chokhamela, Eknath, and Tukaram all of whom are accorded the title of Sant. Recent research has suggested that the Varkaris were historically the followers of Krishna.
Vithoba, also known as Vitthala, and Panduranga, is a Hindu deity predominantly worshipped in the Indian state of Maharashtra and Karnataka. He is a form of the Hindu deity Vishnu in his avatar: Krishna. Vithoba is often depicted as a dark young boy, standing arms akimbo on a brick, sometimes accompanied by his consort Rakhumai.
Pundalik or Pundarika is an Indian saint and a devotee of the Hindu deity Vithoba. Vithoba is a Vaishnava deity and is a recincarnation of Vishnu and Krishna. Pundalik is credited to have brought Vithoba to Pandharpur, where Vithoba's main shrine stands today. Pundalik is also the historical founder of the Varkari sect, which is centered on the worship of Vithoba.
Abhanga is a form of devotional poetry sung in praise of the Hindu god Vitthal, also known as Vithoba. The word "abhang" comes from a for "non-" and bhanga for "ending" or "interrupting", in other words, a flawless, continuous process, in this case referring to a poem. By contrast, the devotional songs known as Bhajans focus on the inward journey. Abhangs are more exuberant expressions of the communitarian experience. Abhanga is considered a form of the ovi. Abhangs are sung during pilgrimage to the temples of Pandharpur, by the devotees.
Sant Janābāi was a Marāthi religious poet in the Hindu tradition in India, who was born likely in the seventh or the eighth decade of the 13th century. She died in 1350.
A padayatra is a journey undertaken by politicians or prominent citizens to interact more closely with different parts of society, educate about issues concerning them, and galvanize his or her supporters. Padayatras or foot pilgrimages are also Hindu religious pilgrimages undertaken towards sacred shrines or pilgrimage sites.
Maharashtra attracts tourists from other Indian states and foreign countries. It was the second most visited Indian state by foreigners and fifth most visited state by domestic tourists in the country in 2021. Aurangabad is the tourism capital of Maharashtra.
Yatra, in Indian-origin religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, generally means a pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, sacred mountains, places associated with Hindu epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and other sacred pilgrimage sites. Visiting a sacred place is believed by the pilgrim to purify the self and bring one closer to the divine. The journey itself is as important as the destination, and the hardships of travel serve as an act of devotion in themselves.
Shayani Ekadashi, also known by various other names, is the eleventh lunar day (Ekadashi) of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month of Ashadha. This occasion is holy to Vaishnavas, the followers of the Hindu preserver deity, Vishnu, as it is regarded to be the day the deity's sleep commences.
The Vithoba Temple, officially known as Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Mandir, is a Hindu temple in Pandharpur, in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the main centre of worship for Vithoba, a form of the god Vishnu or Krishna, and his consort Rakhumai. It is Classified one among the 108 Abhimana Kshethram of Vaishnavate tradition. The temple was built by King Vishnuvardhana of Hoysala Empire between 1108 and 1152 CE upon being convinced by the historical figure Pundalik. Also, there is an inscription in the temple, of a Hoysala King Vira Someshwara dating back to 1237 CE, which grants the temple a village for its upkeep. It is the most visited temple in Maharashtra. The Warkaris start marching from their homes to the temple of Pandharpur in groups called Dindi (procession) to reach on Aashadhi Ekadashi and Kartiki Ekadashi. A dip in the holy river Chandrabhaga, on whose banks Pandharpur resides, is believed to have power to wash all sins. All the devotees are allowed to touch the feet of the idol of Vithoba. In May 2014, the temple became the first in India to invite women and people from backward classes as priests.
Visoba Khechara, spelled also as Visoba Khechar or Visoba Khecar, was the yogi-guru of the Varkari poet-saint Namdev (c.1270-1350) of Maharashtra, India. Visoba was a disciple of the Varkari poet-saint Jñāneśvar. He had linkages with the Varkari tradition as well as the Nath tradition of Maharashtra. Though a staunch Shaiva, Visoba has composed verses in praise of the god Vithoba, the patron deity of the Varkari faith. He has also composed a metaphysical treatise called the Shatsthala.
Kanhopatra was a 15th-century Marathi saint-poet, venerated by the Varkari sect of Hinduism.
Muktabai or Mukta was a saint in the Varkari Movement. She was born in a Deshastha Brahmin family and was the younger sister of Dnyaneshwar, the first Varkari saint. She wrote forty-one abhangs throughout her life.
Prabodhini Ekadashi, also known as Deva Uttana Ekadashi, is the 11th lunar day (ekadashi) in the bright fortnight of the Hindu month of Kartika. It marks the end of the four-month period of Chaturmasya, when the god Vishnu is believed to be asleep. It is believed that Vishnu sleeps on the day of Shayani Ekadashi, and wakes on this day.
