In the “Punyabhumi” or sacred land of Bharata Varsha, the Supreme Lord has incarnated himself in many forms in the different parts of the country. In Maharashtra he has manifested himself as “Panduranga Vitthala” at Pandharpur, from where he has rushed to his devotees who have but breathed Vitthala, sang Vitthala, dreamed Vitthala and have lived only to chant his name.

We begin with the traditional Purvaranga as prescribed in the Natya Sastra, sanctifying the stage and offering obeisance to the ashtadikpalas, to Lord Siva, Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu. The entire Chitra Purvaranga is adapted to depict the “Palki” or the “Palanquin” ceremony of Pandharpur that is taken round the city by devotees singing and dancing. The idol of Vitthala and Rakumai are brought in the palanquin and installed on the stage with puja. As the Sutradhar and Nati exit Vitthala and Rakumai appear on the stage and take us to Janabai’s house.

The first scene opens in the house of Janabai, who has to finish grinding a whole sack of wheat. Vitthala appears before her as she starts singing his prayers and tells her to let him do the grinding while she sings and dances for him. Thus before she even realises the wheat is ground, Vitthala then tells Rakumai that He is going to visit Gnyaneshwara whose family has been ostracised from the Brahmin society.

Then we move on to the scene to depict Gnyaneshwara making the mere buffalo chant the Veda to the surprise of other brahmins, as he proves that Atma is God and is the same in all creations of God. Vitthala now takes the surprised Rakumai to show Muktabai singing his glory, so they both have to give her their darshan.

Vitthala takes Rakumai to show how Shivaji became the disciple of Samarth Ramdas for whom Vitthala revealed himself as “Rama” when he visited Pandharpur.

Then He comes to the abode of Sant Tukaram, who with his unshaken devotion to the Lord revives a dead child whose father is a great devotee of Vitthala. Tukaram’s abhangs are so moving that Vitthala is constantly at his beck and call reinforcing his Bhakti.

Vitthala shocks Rakumai by taking her to Sant Eknath’s house where he has taken the form of a “dasa” or menial. The Lord also comes to the rescue of Sakhubai by taking her place when she is tied to the pole by her mother-in-law.

To humour the baffled Rakumai he shows how his devotee Namdev is put to test by his other devotees who believe everything as God, whereas for Namdev Panduranga Vitthala is only at Pandharpur. Vitthala even manifested himself as Siva to Namdev as “Visova Kechar” who is lying down with his foot on Sivalinga.

The whole production concludes with the “Raas” like dance of Vitthal and Rakumai with their devotees with the chanting and singing of “Jai Jai Vitthala, Hari Hari Vitthala”.