Bhanudasa

Bhanudasa (1448–1513) (also spelled as Bhanudas), was a Hindu sant who brought back the sacred image of the god Vithoba back from Vijayanagara to Pandharpur, its original location. He was Eknath’s great grandfather.[1] As a boy he worshipped the Sun but later came to worship Vithoba.[2] He is the subject of two chapters in the Bhaktavijaya.[3] His Samadhi situated in Solkhambi Mandap (exact right side near entrance) of Vitthal temple at Pandharpur.

The King of Vijayanagar Krishnadevaraya had taken the statue of Lord Vitthal back to Hampi as Pandharpur was a unstable region. The Idol remained at the Vijaya Vitthala Temple until it was later brought back to Pandharpur by Saint Bhanudas after the fall of Vijayanagara to the Deccan Sultanates after Talikota.

References

  1. ^ Schomer, Karine; W. H. McLeo (1987). The Sants: Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 94. ISBN 9788120802773.
  2. ^ Sathianathan, Shantsheela (1996). Contributions of saints and seers to the music of India, Volume 2. Kanishka Publishers. pp. 435–436. ISBN 9788173911118.
  3. ^ Mahipati (1933). "Bhanudas", "Bhanudas (Continued)". Stories of Indian Saints: An English Translation of Mahipati's Marathi Bhaktavijaya. Vol. 2. Translated by Justin Edwards Abbott; Narhar R. Godbole. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 109–144. ISBN 9788120804692. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)