HERE IS SRI VITHOBHA KRISHNA (PANDURANGA)
DEPICTED BY ME IN TANJORE ART FORM...
THE STORY OF PANDURANGA IS A VERY INTERESTING ONE....
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Vithal, or Vitthal, or
Vithoba, or Pandurang (a form of Krishna) is worshipped in some
temples in Kerala. Vittala's original temple is at Pandharpur, Maharashtra.
It is located 65 km west of Solapur, on the banks of the river Bhimarathi
also known as Chandrabhaga. Phandarpur is referred as Pandaripuram in Kerala.
The name Vithoba means Father Vitthala.
Vitthala is said to have been derived from the word Vishnu in Kannada. Panduranga
is a sanskritized form of Pandarga, the old name of Pandharpur.
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It is said that the devotee Pundalik
founded Pandharpur. His father Janudeva and mother Satyavati lived in a thick
forest called Dandirvan. Pundalik was a devoted son but soon after his
marriage he began to ill-treat his parents. To escape from this misery, the
parents decided to go on a pilgrimage to Kashi. When Pundalik's wife learnt
about this, she also decided to go. She and her husband joined the same group
of pilgrims on horseback. While the son and his wife rode on horseback, the old
couple walked. Every evening when the party camped for the night, the son
forced his parents to groom the horses and do other jobs. The poor parents
cursed the day they decided to go on a pilgrimage.
Soon the party reached the ashrama of the great sage Kukkutswami. There they
decided to spend a couple of nights. They were all tired and soon fell
asleep-except Pundalik who could not sleep. Just before daybreak he saw a group
of beautiful, young women, dressed in dirty clothes, enter the ashrama, clean
the floor, fetch water and wash the swami's clothes. Then they entered the
inner room of the ashrama, and came out in beautifully clean clothes and
passing near Pundalik, they vanished. |
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Next night he saw the same sight
again. Pundalik threw himself at their feet and begged them to tell who they
were. They said they were Ganga, Yamuna and other holy rivers of India in
which the Pilgrims bathed and washed off sins. Their clothes became dirty by
the sins of the bathing pilgrims.
"And because of your ill-treatment of your parents," they said,
"You are the greatest sinner."
This brought about a complete change in him and he became the most devoted
son. Now the parents' rode the horses while the son and his wife walked by
their side. By their love and affection, the son and his wife urged the
parents to give up the pilgrimage and return to Dandirvan.
One day it so happened that Lord Krishna, the King of
Dwarka, while feeling lonely, was reminded of his early days in Mathura. He
particularly remembered his sports with the milkmaids, the cowherd boys, and
his love, Radha. Though she was dead, he longed to see her again. By his
divine powers he brought her back to life and seated her by his side. Just
then his queen, Rukmini, entered the room. When Radha did not rise to pay her
respect, Rukmini left Dwarka in anger and hid herself in Dandirvan forest.
After some days, Lord Krishna set off in search of Rukmini. He first went to
Mathura, then to Gokul. He met the milkmaids and cowherd boys. They too
joined in the search. They went to Mount Govardhan in her search.
At last they reached the banks of the river Bhima in the Deccan. Krishna left
his companions at Goplapura, and he himself entered Dandirvan forest alone in
search of her. At last he found her and managed to calm her. Krishna and
Rukmini came to Pundalik's ashrama.
But at that time Pundalik was busy attending to his
parents. Though he knew Lord Krishna had come to see him, he refused to pay
his respect to the god before his duty towards his parents was done. He,
however, threw a brick outside for lord Krishna to stand upon. Impressed by
Pundalik's devotion to his parents, Lord Krishna did not mind the delay.
Standing on the brick he waited for Pundalik. When Pundalik came out and
begged God's pardon, Lord Krishna replied that far from being displeased, he
was pleased with his love for his parents. Lord Krishna then ordered
him to worship Vithoba, or God who stood upon a brick.
An imposing temple was built at
the place where Krishna and Pundalik had met. Inside the temple stands
Krishna's image on a brick. By his side stands the image of Rukmini.This
temple covering a vast area has a total of six gates.
The eastern entrance to this temple is known as the Namdev gate (after the great 13th century Vaishnava saint). The sanctum enshrines the standing image of Vithoba also known as Panduranga, Pandhari or Vitthala. Stylistically the image dates back to the 5th century. There are inscriptions in this temple dating back to the 13th century which place origin of this shrine to the 6th century.(courtesy internet)
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beautiful work usha. I have also done similar vithoba in tanjore painting.
ReplyDeleteVery Beautiful Art Work.
ReplyDeleteVittalan Pandurangan
as Lord Krishna !
Very nice ! Excellent work.
Very Very Happy! ;)))))
Srimathi,Thanx for the comments.Do post your Krishna in your blog too.
ReplyDeleteThanx for the heartening comments,V.G.K. Sir...
ReplyDelete