Vishnupad Temple -Pandharpur

The Vishnupada Temple, which is nearly a kilometer south of the Pundalik Temple, is one of the most renowned pilgrim and tourist place and is visited by several pilgrims every year. This temple resides on the bank of the River Chandrabhaga in Pandharpur.

The shape of the shrine is like a large hall with large sixteen pillars supporting the ceiling. Several postures of Lord Krishna and Lord Vishnu are portrayed on the pillars.

The other attractive thing in the temple is different statues of Lord Vishnu made of stone depicted in various poses. The temple homes three rocks with footprints of Lord Krishna and of a cow embedded in them. There are two types of footprints of Lord Krishna; one stone carries the print of both feet on standing position and the other carries the standing position of left foot with right foot crossed and resting on the toes. You can see footprints of a cow at each corner of these squares.

As Vishnupad Temple is located in middle of the river, the footsteps gets partially submerged in water, when the water level rising during the monsoon. Sometimes, the whole temple is under water for about three months during heavy rains. The main festival conducted in Vishnupad Temple is in the month of Margashirsha. On the first day of Margashirsha the sandals of Vitthal are taken to Vishnupad Temple and the last day of the same month the chariot of Lord Vitthal is brought to this temple in a grand procession. Vishnupad temple is also famous for another ritual ‘Shraddha’ in which the pilgrims perform funeral rites for their departed relatives and remember their ancestor.