Jai jai Vittala Panduranga ! – Jayahari Vittala Panduranga ! @ Thiruvallikkeni

The holy Thiruvallikkeni has many famed and ancient places .. .. nearer the Gangaikondan mantap [TP koil St – Singarachari St junction] is the vegetable market, from nearer – Venkatachala chetty  street leads to PyCrofts Road (now Barathiyar Salai) – Adyar Anand Bhavan junction.  This is no post on Thiruvallikkeni streets, shops or roads .. ..but on a beautiful small temple on this street !

Miles away in Maharashtra is - Pandharpur is a well known pilgrimage town, on the banks of Chandrabhaga River in Solāpur District.  The Vithoba temple attracts more than  a million Hindu devotees  during the major yātrā (pilgrimage) in Ashadh (June–July).  Here is located the famed Vittala Rukmini temple where the  Bhakti Saint, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,  spent a period of 7 days in city.    

Of the many forms of worshipping the divine, the nama-sankeerthana is a divine poetical way of singing and extolling the deeds of Lord and pray unto Him for goodness.  Vithoba, [also Vittala, Panduranga] is worshipped as manifestation of Sriman Narayana, in His avatar Krishna. Vithoba is often worshipped with hands on hips often with Rukmini.  

The parabrahma of Pandharpur is worshipped and lovingly called by his devotees with many names in different course of the time, like Pandharinath, Pandurang, Pandhariraya, Vithai, Vithoba, Vithumauli, Vitthal gururao, Pandurang, Hari etc.   The Great Saint poet Tukaram defines the word Vithoba in one of his abhangas that stands for ‘Knowledge’ + Thoba Stands for ‘form’ Thus Vithoba stands for the ‘form of ultimate Knowledge’ or ‘idol of ultimate Knowledge’.  Vithoba incarnation occurred on Shravan vadha ashtami at the end of Dwaparyuga.   So devotees (varkari) of Vithoba never leave Pandharpur on Wednesday even now.

Vittala is Universal and is the Most Benevolent God – Vittal is munificent to downtrodden – the  sculpture at Pandharpur  is self made up of sand stone. He has cap just like crown on his head.  Thirumukham of Shri Vitthal is long, cheeks are bulky, his eyes are looking horizontally straight. He wear’s Makar kundale in his ear. A Kaustubhmni is there around his neck like necklace.   Shri Vitthal keeps His both hands on His waist. In his right hand he has a Kambal and in left hand he has Shankha.  

Here is a devotionally appealing bhajan – “Jai Jai Vittala Panduranga” sung by – Sri Vidyabhushana from the Album “Bhajan Vidya”:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UXsZ7GHkYk

~ at Thiruvallikkeni is this century old bhajan mandala temple of Sri Pandurangar.  This temple is known as  Sri Ragumayi samedha Sri Pandurangan thirukovil.  Here are some photos of the temple at Venkatachala chetty  Street, Thiruvallikkeni.  There is another temple for Vittala at Thiruvatteeswararpet too.

Jai jai Vittala Panduranga ! – Jayahari  Vittala Panduranga !!

adiyen dhasan – Srinivasan Sampathkumar
27^th July 2021.