Vithoba (Marathi: विठोबा, Viṭhobā), also known as Vitthala (Marathi: विठ्ठल, Kannada: ವಿಠ್ಠಲ; Viṭṭhala and Telugu: విఠల; Viṭhala) and Panduranga (Marathi: पांडुरंग, Kannada: ಪಾಂಡುರಂಗ, Telugu: పాండురంగ; all Paṇḍuraṇga), is a Hindu god, worshipped predominantly in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. He is a manifestation of the Hindu god Vishnu or his Avatar (incarnation) Krishna. Vithoba is often depicted as a dark young boy, standing arms-akimbo on a brick, sometimes accompanied by his main consort Rakhumai (Rukmini).

Vithoba is the focus of the monotheistic, non-BrahmanicalVarkari sect of Maharashtra and the Haridasa sect of Karnataka. Vithoba's main temple stands at Pandharpur in Maharashtra, close to the Karnataka border. Vithoba legends revolve around his devotee Pundalik, who is credited with bringing the deity to Pandharpur, and around Vithoba's role as a saviour to the poet-saints of the Varkari faith. The Varkari poet-saints are known for their unique genre of devotional lyric, the abhanga, dedicated to Vithoba and composed in Marathi. Other devotional literature dedicated to Vithoba includes the Kannada hymns of the Haridasa, and Marathi versions of the generic Hindu arati songs, associated with rituals of offering light to the deity.The most important festivals of Vithoba are held on the eleventh (ekadashi) day of Hindu lunar months: Shayani Ekadashi in the month of Ashadha, and Prabodhini Ekadashi in the month of Kartik.

Morari Bapu (Gujarati: મોરારી બાપુ, Hindi: मुरारी बापू; real name Moraridas Prabhudas Hariyani born on September 25, 1946 in Talgajarda is a popular Hindu kathakaar (preacher), who has been giving 9 day-long sermons (kathaas) in both Gujarati and Hindi all over the world—including in India, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea, and on an airplane travelling the world—since the mid-1970s.

To date, he has conducted over 700 kathaas, most of them based on the Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas and other such works about Rama as well as Gopigeet which has the gopis of Vrindavan singing of the glory of Krishna.

Morari Bapu, complete name Moraridas Prabhudas Hariyani was born on September 25, 1946 on auspicious day of Shivratri in village Talgajarda near Mahuva, Gujarat, to Prabhudas Bapu Hariyani and Savitri Ben Hariyani, in a family of six brothers and two sisters. He is born in a family following religious traditions called Vaishnav Bava Sadhu Nimbarka Parampara (lineage). He became to be called as "Bapu" (meaning Father or elderly person) lovingly by people. . . His grandfather, Tribhovandasji was a great Ram Bhakta (devotee of Sri Rama) and used to make young Morari memorize five verses of the Ramcharitamanas each day, on his way to school and back. Further, he at young age was also encouraged via letters from his paternal great grand father, Mahamandleshwar Vishnu Giriji Maharaj, who was head of "Kailas Ashram" at Rishikesh, to be proficient in the Bhagvat Gita and the Vedas.