Vithoba in the context of Aarti

Vaishnavism (Sanskrit: वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, romanized: Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu religious traditions, that considers Vishnu as the supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, Mahavishnu. It is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. Its followers are called Vaishnavites or Vaishnavas (IAST: Vaiṣṇava), and it includes sub-sects like Krishnaism and Ramaism, which consider Krishna and Rama as the supreme beings respectively. According to a 2020 estimate by The World Religion Database (WRD), hosted at Boston University's Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs (CURA), Vaishnavism is the largest Hindu sect, constituting about 399 million Hindus.

The ancient emergence of Vaishnavism is unclear, and broadly hypothesized as a fusion of various regional non-Vedic religions with worship of Vishnu. It is considered a merger of several popular non-Vedic theistic traditions, particularly the Bhagavata cults of Vāsudeva-Krishna and Gopala-Krishna, as well as Narayana, developed in the 7th to 4th century BCE. It was integrated with the Vedic God Vishnu in the early centuries CE, and finalized as Vaishnavism, when it developed the avatar doctrine, wherein the various non-Vedic deities are revered as distinct incarnations of the supreme God Vishnu. Narayana, Hari, Rama, Krishna, Kalki, Perumal, Shrinathji, Vithoba, Venkateswara, Guruvayurappan, Ranganatha, Jagannath, Badrinath and Muktinath are revered as forms or avatars of Vishnu, all seen as different aspects of the same supreme being.

The Dashavatara (Sanskrit: दशावतार, IAST: daśāvatāra) are the ten primary avatars of Vishnu, a principal Hindu god. Vishnu is said to descend in the form of an avatar to restore cosmic order. The word Dashavatara derives from daśa, meaning "ten", and avatāra, roughly equivalent to "incarnation".

The list of included avatars varies across sects and regions, particularly with respect to the inclusion of Balarama (brother of Krishna) or the Buddha. Though no list can be uncontroversially presented as standard, the "most accepted list found in Puranas and other texts is [...] Krishna, Buddha." Most draw from the following set of figures, in this order: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, or Balarama, Buddha or Krishna, and Kalki. In traditions that omit Krishna, he often replaces Vishnu as the source of all avatars. Some traditions include a regional deity such as Vithoba or Jagannath in penultimate position, replacing Krishna or Buddha. All avatars have appeared except one: Kalki, who will appear at the end of the Kali Yuga.

Varkari (/wɑːrkəri/ VAR-kə-ree; Marathi: वारकरी; Pronunciation: Marathi pronunciation: [ʋaːɾkəɾiː]) meaning: 'The one who performs the Vari' is an Advaita Vaishnavsampradaya (religious movement) within the Bhakti spiritual tradition of Hinduism, geographically associated with the Indian state of Maharashtra. Varkaris worship Shri Krishna as Vitthal (also known as Vithoba), the presiding deity of Pandharpur, regarded as a form of Vishnu, and his consort Rakhumai (also known as Rahi), regarded as a form of Lakshmi. Saints and gurus of the bhakti movement associated with the Warkaris include Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Chokhamela, Eknath, and Tukaram all of whom are accorded the title of Sant. Recent research has suggested that the Varkaris were historically the followers of Krishna. Vittala is also another name for Krishna. The Varkaris acknowledge and accept the oneness of Vishnu with other deities like Shiva, Shakti and Ganpati, building upon the core principles of Advaita Vedanta. Krishna is referenced as Vitthal in most Bhakti songs of Purandara Dasa and other Bhakti Saints.

Rukmini (Sanskrit: रुक्मिणी, lit. 'radiant', IAST: Rukmiṇī) is a Hindu goddess and the first queen of Krishna. She is described as the chief of Krishna's wives in Dvaraka. Rukmini is revered as the avatar of Lakshmi and is venerated primarily in Warkari, and Haridasa tradition, and additionally in Sri Vaishnavism.

Rukmini is mainly worshipped in Maharashtra and South India. The people of Maharashtra venerate her with Vithoba (a regional form of Krishna) and call her Rakhumai. In South India, she is worshipped along with Krishna and his other primary consort Satyabhama. Her birthday is celebrated every year on the occasion of Rukmini Ashtami.

The Vithoba Temple, officially known as Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Mandir (Marathi: श्री विठ्ठल्-रूक्मिणि देऊळ, Kannada: ಶ್ರೀ ವಿಠ್ಠಲ-ರುಕ್ಮಿಣಿ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ), is a Hindu temple in Pandharpur, in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the main centre of worship for Vithoba, a form of the god Vishnu or Krishna, and his consort Rakhumai. It is one of the 108 Abhimana Kshethram of Vaishnavate tradition. The temple was built by King Vishnuvardhana (Bittideva) of Hoysala Empire between 1108 and 1152 CE upon being convinced by the historical figure Pundalik. Also, there is an inscription in the temple, of a Hoysala King Vira Someshwara dating back to 1237 CE, which grants the temple a village for its upkeep. It is the most visited temple in Maharashtra. The Warkaris start marching from their homes to the temple of Pandharpur in groups called Dindi (procession) to reach on Aashadhi Ekadashi and Kartiki Ekadashi. A dip in the holy river Chandrabhaga, on whose banks Pandharpur resides, is believed to have power to wash all sins. All the devotees are allowed to touch the feet of the idol of Vithoba. In May 2014, the temple became the first in India to invite women and people from backward classes as priests.

Although parts of the temple date to the 12th or 13th century, the existing structure mainly dates to the 17th century or later, and reflects the later Deccan style, with dome motifs and lobed arches. Attempts were made to destroy the temple by Afzal Khan, however the original central figure of the shrine was protected by the Brahmin priests Badve while Afzalkhan destroyed a similar idol.

Pundalik (Marathi: पुंडलिक) or Pundarika (Kannada: ಪುಂಡರೀಕ), (Sanskrit: पुण्डरीक, romanized: Puṇḍarīka) was an Indian saint and a devotee of the Hindu deity Vithoba. Vithoba is a Vaishnava deity, considered a reincarnation of Vishnu and Krishna. Pundalik is believed to have brought Vithoba to Pandharpur, where the deity's main shrine stands today. He is also regarded as the historical founder of the Varkari sect, which is centered on the worship of Vithoba.

Pundalik was one of the earliest practitioners of Kundalini Yoga. As he was considered a master of Kundalini Yoga, people used to call him "Kundalik." Over time, the name evolved into "Pundalik," symbolising Kundalini energy in the form of Vitthala (also known as Panduranga). Vitthala of Pandharpur is regarded as an incarnation of Vishnu or Krishna. According to legends, Vitthala also represents the symbol of Kundalini energy. However, in Hinduism, this energy is believed to spiritually reside within all beings.

Abhanga is a form of devotional poetry sung in praise of the Hindu god Vitthal, also known as Vithoba. The word "abhang" comes from a for "non-" and bhanga for "ending" or "interrupting", in other words, a flawless, continuous process, in this case referring to a poem. By contrast, the devotional songs known as Bhajans focus on the inward journey. Abhangs are more exuberant expressions of the communitarian experience. Abhanga is considered a form of the ovi. Abhangs are sung during pilgrimage to the temples of Pandharpur, by the devotees.