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'Khandoba', also known as 'Khanderao', 'Khanderaya','Malhari Martand',is the most popular family deity in Maharashtra, the patron deity of farming and herding castes.^[1], the hunters and gatherers, of the hills and forests (like Mallanna in Andhra Pradesh and Mallaya in Karnataka) of western Deccan, a regional Hindu deity, worshipped by all communities including Muslims, exhaulted as 'Mārtanda Bhairava', an incarnation of Shiva, having linkages with Vaishanva and Jain traditions.People of India By Kumar Suresh Singh, B. V. Bhanu, Anthropological Survey of India [1] p.ix The worship of Khandoba developed during the 9th/10th centuries from a folk deity into a composite god pocessing the attributes of Shiva^[2], Bhairava, Surya^[1] and Karttikeya (Skanda).^[4]He is depicted either in the form of a Lingam^[1][6], or as an image riding on a bull or a horse.

Contents

Twelve temples of Khandoba

Malhari Mahatmya

Wives of Khandoba

Worship

Notes

References

See also

External links

Twelve temples of Khandoba

#'Jejuri': The foremost center of worship of Khandoba in Maharashtra ^[7]. It is situated 48kms from Pune
#'Pali' (Pembar) Temple situted near Satara city in Maharashtra.
#'Shewud' Ahmednagar district Maharashtra.
#'Kamathwadi' Ahmednagar district Maharashtra.
#'Nimgaon Dawadi' Pune district
#'Palipembar' Satara district.
#'Naldurg' Dharashiv Osmanabad district.
#'Mangsuli' Belgaum district.
#'Mailara Linga' Dharwad district.
#'Maltesh or Mailar - Devargudda' Dharwad district.
#'Mannamailar' Bellary, a city in Karnataka state, India.
#'Mailarpur' Penbar in Bidar district.

Malhari Mahatmya

Malhari Mahatmya, a book in Marathi, tells the legend of Martanda-Bhairava or Khandoba. It says that Lord Shiva took the Avatar of Khandoba to kill demons Malla amd Mani (in some accounts a giant called Manimalla). It says that two shivlingas appeared at Prempuri, the place where Khandoba killed the demons. It has 22 chapters.

Wives of Khandoba

Khandoba is a much-married god with wives from many communities, who serve as cultural links to the communities. His first wife Mhalsa is from the Lingavat merchant caste; his second wife Banai is a Dhangar (shepherd caste); the third wife Rambhai is from Terror caste; fourth wife Phulai is a gardender and fifth caste Candai is a Muslim or described as a Telin (oil presser caste).
The Malhari Mahatmya also gives an account of the two wives of Khandoba, Mhalsa and Banai.
Mhalsa is believed to be a combined avatara of Mohini and Parvati. Mhalsa was born as the daughter of a rich merchant in Newase called Timshet. On the dinine orders of Khandoba in a dream to Timshet, she was married to Khandoba on Pausha Pournima(the full moon day of Hindu calender month of Paush) in Pali(Pembar). Two shivlingas appeared on this occasion. An annual festival marking this event is celebrated in Pali every Paush Pournima.
Banai is believed to the daughter of Indra, the king of the gods. Banai was found by Dhangar shepherd, when she was abandoned on earth by an angry Indra. When Banai grew up, it was predicted that she would get her match at Jejuri. There, she felt in love with God Khandoba. Khandoba also felt in her love. Khandoba accepted a self-exile for 12 years by intentionally losing a game of chess(Saripat) to his wife Mhalsa. He took disguise of shepherd and started serving Banai's father. One day, Khandoba killed all the sheep and goats of Banai' father and promised to make them alive again if he was married to Banai. The reluctant Banai was married to Khandoba, the shepherd in disguise at Naldurg. Khandoba revealed his real form to Banai on their way back to Jejuri.
On reaching Jejuri, Khandoba was greeted by Mhalsa's fury and her strong protest of his second marriage. To avoid the quarrels of his wives, Khandoba gave the upper half of the hill to Mhalsa and the lower half to Banai. The idol of Mhalsa is placed with Khandoba in the main shrine at top of the hill at Jejuri. A separate shrine to Banai is situated halfway down the hill.

Worship

Khandoba is worshipped with Turmeric (Bhandār), Bel fruit-leaves , onions and other vegetables.
Boys called Vāghyā and girls called Muraḹi were formerly dedicated to Khandoba. Now the practice of marrying girls to Khandoba is made illegal.
Khandoba fought Mani-Malla for six days(Margadhirsha shukla first to sixth) and on the sixth day Champa Shashti He overcame and slew them. These six days are celebrated as the festival of Khandoba.^[8]

Notes

1. Courtright, p. 205.
2. 'Khandoba: Ursprung, Geschiche und Umvelt von Pastoralem Gotheiten in Maharashtra, Wiesbaden 1976 (German with English Synopsis) pp. 180-98, "Khandoba is a local deity in Maharashtra and been Sanskritised as an incarnation of Shiva."
3. Courtright, p. 205.
4. For use of the name Khandoba as a name for Karttikeya in Maharashtra, see: Gupta, ''Preface'', and p. 40.
5. Courtright, p. 205.
6. For worship of Khandoba in the form of a lingam and possible identification with Shiva based on that, see: Mate, p. 176.
7. For Jejuri as the foremost center of worship see: Mate, p. 162.
8. The Hindu Religious Year By Muriel Marion Underhill[2] p.111

References

★ Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dhallapiccola

★ King of Hunters, Warriors and shepherds and essays on Khandoba by Gunther-Dietz SONTHEIMER Edited by ANNE FELDHAUS, ADITYA MALAIK, HEIDRUN BRUCKNER 1997, 353pp. b&w illus., bibl. index (ISBN 81-7304-018-4)

★ Karttikeya: The Son of Shiva, , Shakti M., Gupta, Somaiya Publications Pvt. Ltd., 1988,

★ Gaṇeśa: Lord of Obstacles, Lord of Beginnings, , Paul B., Courtright, Oxford University Press, 1985,

★ Temples and Legends of Maharashtra, , M. S., Mate, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1988,

See also

★ List of Hindu deities

External links

★ http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2000/06/25/stories/1325063k.htm