Vitthala -- Vithobha, Vitthu, Bittu there are several names to address Sri PandharpurVitthala. The moment the name is uttered, the mind takes us to Pandharpur. The month of Ashadhais the holiest for the worship of Vitthala in the Maharashtrian town. Devotees from all over the world wish to be there on ShayaniEkadashi of the Ashadha month that falls in July. Vitthala is a synonym for devotion and emotion. He is the cult deity for the people of Maharashtra and the southern states, especially Karnataka.
Nearly all Haridasas have eulogised Vitthala and his consort Rukmaiin their works.Sant Jnanadeva ofJnaneshwar, Sant Namdev, Sant Eknath,and Sant Tukaram in Maharashtra praised Vitthala through their compositions. In Karnataka, theHaridasa movement praised Vitthala as the primordial deity.Vitthala was not just a deity; he is portrayed as a friend, son, mother and father. Narahari Tirtha, VysaTirtha, Purandhara Dasa, KanakaDasa, Vadiraja Tirtha and Vijaya Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa, Prasanna Venkata Dasa, Mahipati Dasa, the list of the religious bards is quite long. It appears Karnataka was the home of Vitthala. Sant Jnaneshwara in his composition mentions: “ KanadahoVitthaluKarnataku, yenemajalavilevedhi”… which firmly atteststo his origins.
The Vitthala cult may be traced to the 8-9th Century CE. Vitthala is a combination of Vishnu and Krishna. Pandharpur, on the bank of river Bhimarathi(Bhīma), became the abode of the lord. The temple was possibly built in the 11-12th Century by Yadava of Devagiri. The idol of Vitthala could have been installed at that time. The temple, in the Hemadpanti (Phamsana) style, was built with soapstone. It is said that Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana also had a role in the construction of the temple. However, historical records of the temples clearly point to Yadava.
In Karnataka, Vitthala sculpture began to appear during the Kalyan Chalukya and Hoysala periods. The Vijayanagara period may be ascribed as the zenith of Vitthala worship and dedication of temples. The Vijayanagara kings built a temple for Vitthala in Hampi. It is perhaps the only temple in Hampiwith rich decorations and grand architecture.
The iconography ofVitthala depicts Vishnu as a young boy standing in a frontal posture with both hands akimbo in the katyavalambitaposture. The current image of Vitthala in Pandharpur stands on a brick pedestal. In both arms, he holds the Chakra and the Shankha. Vitthala hasa simple beadgarland that includes a Kaustubha Mani. His crown is conical in shape. The earlier form of the deity was perhaps seen in the period of the Guptas, Vakatakas and Kadambasbetween the 4th and 5thCentury CE.
Interestingly, the image of Vishnu in the Udaigiri cave near Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh also has a standing posture with frontal arms in thekatyavalambita hasta. A good many examples of Vishnu are also found in the style of the Mathura school of sculpture. This posture became popular even during the Badami Chalukyaperiod (6-8th Century CE).Badami Chalukya artists employed the Vishnu image in Cave-3 and also in the MalegittiSivalaya in Badami. In the post-Badami Chalukya period, the Vitthala concept grew in stature,and all imagesseen today show the deity in a standing posture with two arms on the waist.
The Hoysala period witnessedthe prolific development of Vitthala sculptures. King Vishnuvardhana (1109-1142 CE), an ardent follower of Sri Vaishnavism, patronized the faith of Vitthala. The Vitthala sculpture has an evolved iconography and is depicted along with other sculptures such as Dashavatara, 24 forms of Vishnu and Saiva sculptures in many temples. An early example ofVitthala sculpturedepicted on the walls of the Brahmeshwara temple atKikkeri (Taluk K R Pete, Mandya District)is dated back to 1170 CE. Another fine example of Vitthala is at Keshava Temple Nagalapura (12th Century CE) in Tumkur district. Lakshmi Narayana Temple in Hosaholalu, Panchalingeshwara Temple at Govindanahalli(in K R Pete Taluk, Mandya District), and Keshava Templein Harnahallialso have examples of Vitthala sculpture. All these sculptures have identical iconographic images of Vitthala with minimum jewellery. Vitthala holds a Shankha and a sack in his hands. The sackpossibly representsthe bag of flat rice Sudama gave to Krishna.
In the post-Hoysala period, Vijayanagarakings not only patronised the Vitthala cult but also propagated it through the Haridasa Bhakti movement and the construction of temples. Several villages were renamed after Vitthala; as Vitthalapurain the Vijayanagara period. These temples also boast pillars, walls, and even lintel beams of the temples with Vitthala sculptures. The Vijaya Vitthala Temple in Hampi was built by Vijayanagara king Devaraya, between 1422-1446 CE. It was extended with the Ratha and Kalyana Mantapa during the reign of Krishnadevaraya (1509-1529CE). The Vitthala Temple of Hampihas musical pillars in the main hall. The lintel beams show Vitthalaalong with the king and queen, the latter two in a devotional pose. It is one of the finest representations of the Vitthala style of temple architecture.
Professor & HOD, Art History, College of Fine Arts, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath