A devout centre on the banks of River Bhima, Pandharpur in the state of Maharashta boast of a rare combination of

tradition and history. Famed as the religious capital of Maharashtra state, this quite town speaks about the grace of a
benevolent God, who descended down to earth to be with his ardent devotee. 

This quaint little habitat is all set to allure the devotees with the legendary story of Lord Vitthal and his beloved
devotee Pundalik. The popular belief is that the God had visited this place to see Pundalik and he had to wait outside
Pundalik’s residence for quiet sometime since the latter was busy serving his aged parents. Later Pundalik came
before the lord and seek his pardon. Pleased by his devotion towards his parents the lord decided to stay with
Pundalik forever and ever since the lord stays there in the village. 

A bevy of lovely shrines that conjure up exquisite devoutness and sculptural grandeur are the foremost lures in this
sleepy town. Pathanpur protects its long history and tradition through these pretty places of worship and legendary
stories. 

What to do in this holy abode of Lord Vitthal is a redundant query, since Panthapur offers enormous pastimes to the
devotees and the casual visitors alike. The devotee would be well pleased with the saintly ambiance of the holy
shrines, while the casual visitors can enjoy the scenic environ of riverside. The riverbed proffers a nice setting for
boating. As the most sought after destination of vaishnavite traditions, the devotees usually indulge in the longest
Parikrama namely Alandi-Pandharpur Yatra.
Fast Facts :
State: Maharashtra
District: Solapur
Famous for/as: Pilgrim
Languages: Marathi, Hindi
Best Season: Oct - Mar
Weather: Summer 32-45°C, Winter 15-28°C
Altitude: 458 m
Pincode: 413304
STD code: 021862

Attractions :

Rukmini Mandir in the district of Solapur is one of the chief deities of Pandharpur. This temple dedicated to her is
placed on the banks of Chandra Bhaga river and it is commonly called as the Panduranga Temple. Lofty walls and
colossal towers are the landmark signs of this lovely shrine. Situated on a high platform the temple stands 370 feet
east-west houses and170 feet northwest. The entry to the temple is through the Namdev gate which is characterized
by a plight of 12 steps. The temple holds the statue of Namdev who is figured with his tambourine. 

Though Rukmini is the wife of Lord Krishna she is not seen with her husband in this shrine. Legend has it that
Rukmini is doing her penance and that’s why she is depicted alone in her temple. Earlier the mandir has only a small
shrine and portico and later a mandap, an antarala and a sabhamandap were added to the existing structures:
Pundalik Temple: Prettily placed on the majestic banks of River Chandra bagha, Pundalik Temple portrays lord
Vitthal as its chief deity. Vitthal is one among the manifestations of Lord Vishnu. The main shrine is a five-story
building with a pyramidal gun spire. The statue of Jaya and Vijaya flanks Lord Vithal. 

The main attraction in this square shaped temple is its portico, which has a measurement of 25’ by 17’. This portico
holds the idol of lord Shiva, which is protected by a brass cover. It is a customary practice that the devotees should
wash their feet in the warm water spring that flows adjacent to the temple before they embark their dharshan of the
lord. One among the embarrassing allure in the temple premises is the iron boat of 3 ft by 2 ft, which floats in the river
water but appears too heavy to raise with hands. 
Timings in the temple is scheduled between 4 AM -7 PM.

Vithoba Temple: A holy shrine of quite antiquity that holds Vithoba, a localized version of lord Krishna is one among
the numerous devout destinations in Pandharpur. The temple is believed to be centuries old and the most amazing
aspect in this holy shrine is the scripture that dates back to the year 1195.The devotees used to rub their back on this
scripture, which is believed to absolve them from the wheel of rebirths. 
The lord is seen accompanied by his consort Rukmini. The deities look truly impressive with its blackish colour and in
Navarathri and Dusshera celebrations they would be clothed with new clothes everyday. The temple is open for the
public for the whole day during Vari.

Vishnupada Temple: The Vishnupada literally is the lord’s feet and the temple by this name situates with in the city
limits. A lovely shrine on the majestic environ of the Chandrabhaga river is a breath taking site that allures the
onlooker with its exquisite charm and prettiness. The temple is connected to the shore by a ramp.  
Constructed with stone masonry, the temple is in the shape of an open hall where sixteen pillars of stone support its
flat roof. The pillar portrays images of Lord Krishna and Vishnu in their typical postures. The temple enshrines the
lotus feet of the lord on rock, which are placed on a square. These rocks carries the footprints in two positions and
one can also see the foot prints of a cow entrenched in it. One of the footprints shows cases the typical posture of
Krishna standing on his left foot and the right foot crossed and resting on his toes. The other one depicts the lord on
his both feet. Since the temple situates in the middle of the river temple shows water level up to its floor level and in
the rainy months the temple is virtually submerges with the water.
How to Reach:

Pandharpur By Air

Nearest airport to Pandharpur is at Pune, at a distance of 204 km away. Taxi cabs are available from Pune to
Pandharpur at a fare of Rs 2500. Pune is well connected by flights to the major cities in India.
Airports near Pandharpur Type Arial Distance
Latur Airport (LTU) Domestic 151 km
Kolhapur Airport (KLH) Domestic 161 km
Lohegaon Airport, Pune (PNQ) Domestic 186 km
Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai (BOM) International 316 km

Pandharpur By Train

Nearest railway station to Pandharpur is at Kurduwadi, at distance of 52 km away. The major railhead nearby is
Solapur, at a distance of 74 km away. Taxi cars are available on hire from Solapur to Pandharpur. Taxi charge is
about Rs 1,000.
Railway stations near Pandharpur Arial Distance
Mohol (MO) 41 km
Solapur Junction (SUR) 63 km

Trains to Mohol

 (Mohol train station is near Pandharpur)

Starting Station Train Arrival at Mohol Service Days
Chennai (MAS)  Mumbai Mail 06:49 PM All Days
3 more trains (11028) (duration: 19h 59m)
Mumbai (CSTM)  Siddheshwar Exp 05:48 AM All Days
17 more trains (12115) (duration: 7h 13m)
Chennai Mail 07:58 AM All Days
(11027) (duration: 8h 13m)
Pune (PUNE)  Pune Sur Pass 04:23 AM All Days
26 more trains (51455) (duration: 5h 33m)

Trains to Solapur

 (Solapur train station is near Pandharpur)

Starting Station Train Arrival at Solapur Service Days
Bangalore (SBC)  Ahmadabad Exp 03:50 AM Sun
8 more trains (16502) (duration: 14h 20m)
Karnataka Exp 07:40 AM All Days
(12627) (duration: 12h 20m)
Chennai (MAS)  Mumbai Express 04:20 AM All Days
2 more trains (11042) (duration: 16h 35m)
Shirdi Express 08:00 AM Tue
 (0677) (duration: 16h 45m)
Delhi (NDLS) Karnataka Exp 12:01 AM All Days
(12628) (duration: 26h 46m)
Hyderabad (SC)  Rajkot Express 09:15 PM Mon, Tue & Sat
6 more trains (17018) (duration: 6h 25m)
Mumbai (CSTM)  Konark Express 12:20 AM All Days
17 more trains (11019) (duration: 9h 10m)
Kanyakumari Exp 12:45 AM All Days
(16381) (duration: 9h)
Pune (PUNE)  Pune Sur Pass 06:40 AM All Days
25 more trains (51455) (duration: 7h 50m)
Sc Shatabdi 09:30 AM Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun
(01463) (duration: 3h 30m)
  
  
 More trains to Solapur

Starting Station Train Arrival at Pandharpur Service Days

Mumbai (CSTM)  Fast Passenger 09:15 AM Thu, Fri & Sat
18 more trains (51027) (duration: 10h 20m)