The Skanda Purana mentions Pandharpur as an ancient Vaishnava tirtha — the home of Lord Vitthala, understood as a form of Vishnu and Krishna. The river here curves in a crescent shape, which is why it is also called Chandrabhaga (chandra = moon, bhaga = curve). Lord Vitthala stands on a brick in the garbhagriha, his hands resting on his waist — a posture full of quiet dignity.
In the 13th century, the great saint Dnyaneshwar wrote the Dnyaneshwari — a Marathi commentary on the Bhagavad Gita — and was a devoted pilgrim of Vitthala. His devotion, along with that of other Varkari saints like Tukaram and Namdev, shaped the tradition of the wari — the walking pilgrimage to Pandharpur that continues to this day.
The wari — a walking pilgrimage to Pandharpur in the Ashadha and Kartik months — is one of Maharashtra's oldest and most beloved devotional traditions.
The main temple is built in the Hemadpanthi style, using fitted stone without mortar — a construction method associated with the 13th-century minister Hemadpant. Devi Rukmini's shrine is also within the complex, and both are traditionally visited together.
The Chandrabhaga river bath before entering the temple is a longstanding tradition. During the Ashadha and Kartik waris, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims arrive on foot from across Maharashtra — a sight that has moved poets and saints for eight centuries.
- Open year-round; tradition is to bathe in the Chandrabhaga first, then proceed to the temple.
- Lord Vitthala and Devi Rukmini are both visible in the complex.
- Ashadha and Kartik wari bring the largest gatherings of pilgrims on foot.