page_title: Khandoba
section_title: Wives
hierarchical_section_title: Khandoba / Wives
caption_attribution_description: English: khandoba nalawane
context_page_description: Khandoba, Martanda Bhairava, Malhari, or Malhar is a Hindu deity worshiped as a manifestation of Shiva mainly in the Deccan plateau of India, especially in the state of Maharashtra. He is the most popular Kuladaivat in Maharashtra. He is also the patron deity of select warrior, farming castes, Dhangar community and Brahmin castes as well as several of the hunter/gatherer tribes that are native to the hills and forests of this region. The cult of Khandoba has linkages with Hindu and Jain traditions, and also assimilates all communities irrespective of caste, including Muslims. The worship of Khandoba developed during the 9th and 10th centuries from a folk deity into a composite god possessing the attributes of Shiva, Bhairava, Surya and Kartikeya. He is depicted either in the form of a linga, or as an image of a warrior riding on a bull or a horse. The foremost centre of Khandoba worship is Jejuri in Maharashtra. The legends of Khandoba, found in the text Malhari Mahatmya and also narrated in folk songs, revolve around his victory over demons Mani-malla and his marriages.
context_section_description: Khandoba has two wives who are women from different communities, who serve as cultural links between the god and the communities. He has two wives, Mhalsa and Banai (Banu, Banubai) being the most important. While Khandoba's first wife Mhalsa is from the Lingayat merchant (Vani) community, his second wife Banai is a Dhangar (shepherd caste). Mhalsa has had a regular ritualistic marriage with Khandoba.  Banai, on the other hand, has a love marriage by capture with the god. Mhalsa is described as jealous and a good cook; Banai is erotic, resolute, but does not even know to cook. Often folk songs tell of their quarrels. Mhalsa represents "culture" and Banai "nature". The god king Khandoba stands between them.
  Mhalsa is believed to be a combined avatara of Mohini and Parvati. Mhalsa was born as the daughter of a rich merchant in Newase called Tirmarsheth. On the divine orders of Khandoba in a dream to Tirmarsheth, she was married to Khandoba on Pausha Pournima (the full moon day of Hindu calendar month of Paush) in Pali(Pembar). Two shivlingas appeared on this occasion. An annual festival marking this event is celebrated in Pali every Paush Pournima.
  Banai is believed to the daughter of Indra, the king of the gods or as Incarnation of Goddess Ganga. Banai was found by Dhangar shepherd, when she was abandoned on earth by an angry Indra. When Banai grew up, it was predicted that she would get her match at Jejuri. There, she fell in love with God Khandoba. Khandoba also fell in her love. Khandoba accepted a self-exile for 12 years by intentionally losing a game of chess(Saripat) to his wife Mhalsa. He took disguise of shepherd and started serving Banai's father. One day, Khandoba killed all the sheep and goats of Banai' father and promised to make them alive again if he was married to Banai. The reluctant Banai was married to Khandoba, the shepherd in disguise at Naldurg. Khandoba revealed his real form to Banai on their way back to Jejuri.
  On reaching Jejuri, Khandoba was greeted by Mhalsa's fury and her strong protest of his second marriage. To avoid the quarrels of his wives, Khandoba gave the upper half of the hill to Mhalsa and the lower half to Banai. The idol of Mhalsa is placed with Khandoba in the main shrine at top of the hill at Jejuri. A separate shrine to Banai is situated halfway down the hill.
  Khandoba's third wife, Rambhai Shimpin, is a tailor woman who was a heavenly nymph or devangana and is sometimes identified with Banai. She is a prototype of the Muralis — the girls "married" to Khandoba. Rambhai is worshipped as a goddess whom Khandoba visits after his hunt. She is also localised, being said to come from the village from Belsare, near Jejuri. The fourth wife Phulai Malin, from the gardener or Mali caste, She was a particular Murali and is thus a deified devotee of Khandoba. She is visited by him at "Davna Mal" (field of southernwood, a herb said to be dear to Khandoba). The fifth wife, Candai Bhagavin, is a Telin, a member of the oilpresser caste. She is recognised as a Muslim by the Muslims. Apart from these, Muralis — girls offered to Khandoba — are considered as wives or concubines of the god.
caption: Khandoba with his two chief wives: Mhalsa and Banai.
exif: {"Image Make": "SAMSUNG", "Image Model": "C5212", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Picasa", "Image DateTime": "2014:12:03 11:07:51", "Image Artist": "Picasa", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image ExifOffset": "198", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "546", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "8586", "EXIF ExifVersion": "220", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2010:1211:11 18:34:1", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2010:1211:11 18:34:1", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "728", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "927", "Interoperability InteroperabilityIndex": "R98", "Interoperability InteroperabilityVersion": "[48, 49, 48, 48]", "Interoperability RelatedImageWidth": "1280", "Interoperability RelatedImageLength": "1024", "EXIF InteroperabilityOffset": "398", "EXIF ImageUniqueID": "0ed52a9e8819538aefef4a3ab5e30b39"}