Table of Contents

Introduction
1. Puranic Sources for the Study of Vitthal
2. Hari in Cowherd's Garb
3. The Secret of the Dindira Forest
4. Vitthal, Venkates, and Virabhadra
5. Vitthalesvar
6. In Search of the Original Image of Vitthal
7. Vitthal and Hero-Stones
8. Pundalik and Pundarikesvar
9. The Sources of the Story of Pundalik
10. Vitthal and the Buddha
11. Vitthal, Jains, and Ramdasis
12. Mother Vithai
13. The Vedicization of Vitthal
14. The Yadavas' God
15. The Body Is Pandhari
Glossary
Abbreviations
Bibliography
Index

About the Author

Ramchandra Chintaman Dhere, the foremost scholar of religious traditions in Maharashtra, has published over 100 books in this area. The dozens of awards he has received for his scholarly work include the highly coveted Maharashtra State Prize and the Sahitya Akademi prize.

Anne Feldhaus is Foundation Professor of Religious Studies at Arizona State University, Tempe, where she teaches Hinduism, Sanskrit, and religious geography.