Trip to Pandharpur from Pune

We started our journey early in the morning and drove from Pune to Pandharpur, a renowned pilgrimage destination situated along the sacred Chandrabhaga River. The town is best known for the revered Shri Vitthal Rukmini Temple and numerous associated shrines that attract devotees throughout the year. The drive from Pune took approximately four hours.

Pandharpur’s spiritual essence is deeply linked to the tradition of Abhangs, devotional hymns composed by Maharashtra’s saints that express profound and unwavering devotion to Lord Vitthal.

Stay at ISKCON Chandrabhaga Guest House

We chose the ISKCON Guest House for our stay, which offered clean and comfortable accommodation at a very reasonable rate. Located right beside the Chandrabhaga River, the property provided direct access to the ghat, making it convenient to take a holy dip. The ISKCON temple is within the same complex, along with a couple of eateries serving simple and wholesome vegetarian meals. The main Vitthal Temple is situated a few kilometres away from the guest house.

Mukh Darshan at Shri Vitthal Temple

As it was the festive season, the queue for Sparsh darshan was exceptionally long. Since there were no special-entry tickets available, we opted for Mukh Darshan instead. This allowed us to complete the darshan comfortably within about an hour.

Visit to Gopalpur Temple

On our return journey the following day, we stopped at the Vishnupad Mandir in Gopalpur, located approximately 5 kilometres from Pandharpur. The temple complemented our pilgrimage experience.

Return to Pune

After completing all the temple visits, we drove back to Pune and checked into Hotel Shree Panchratna, conveniently located near Pune Railway Station.

My google Review on the hotel is pasted below:

The room was large and well furnished, equipped with a double bed and a hot water kettle. The bathroom was spacious and had a shower stall. The buffet breakfast was delicious and satisfying. The service needs improvement as soap was missing in the bathroom. Overall, good value for the price.