History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.t8.22

v5.c74.t8.22

As regards the name of the kṣetra it appears that originally it was called in Canarese Pandarage, of which Pāṇḍuraṅga is a sanskritized form. When Puṇḍlik, the devotee of Vitthal, became famous the sacred place came to be called Puṇḍarīkapura (as in Kūrma) and Pāuṇḍarīkapura (as in Skanda). Vide note 1632 above The pilgrims to Pandharpūr may be divided into two classes, regular visitors and occasional visitors. The first class comprise those called *Vārkarīs* (lit those who keep the fixed times). The Vārkarīs are of two sorts viz those who attend every month and those who attend twice a year (on the 11th of Āṣāḍha-śukla and Kārtika-śukla). This cult of vārkarīs has been a great leveller. In theory and to a large extent in practice it ignores caste exclusiveness A brāhmaṇa vārkarī falls at the feet of a śūdra vārkarī. There are certain observances binding on all vārkarīs (for which, vide Bom. G. vol. 20 p. 471). The vārkarī carries a rosary of Tulasī (basil) beads, foregoes flesh-eating, observes a fast on *ekādaśī*, carries an ochre-coloured *patākā* (swallow-tailed banner) and is to speak the truth (and not to cheat) when engaged in his daily occupations.