Khandoba Festival in Jejuri:
A six-day festival in honour of Khandoba is celebrated to commemorate an occasion where he fought Mani-Malla (Margadhirsha shukla first to sixth) and on the sixth day (Champa Shashti) he overcame and slew them. Khandoba is worshipped with Turmeric (Bhandār), Bel fruit-leaves, onions and other vegetables. Boys called Vāghyā and girls called Murali were formerly dedicated to Khandoba, but now the practice of marrying girls to Khandoba is illegal.
Khandoba is also a figure of respect and worship to Muslims, and this affiliation is visible in the style of his temples. Some of these distinguishing Muslim features include his usual appearance as that of a Pathān on horseback, one of his wives being a Muslim, and that his horse-keeper is a Muslim in Jejuri. The Mārtaa Vijaya expressly states that his devotees mainly comprise of Muslims. The worship of Khandoba had received royal patronage by Ibrahim II, which consisted of the reinstatement of the annual jatra and the right of pilgrims to perform rituals at the Naldurg temple. |
