Gora

(1267–1397?) Poet and saint in the
Varkari Panth, a religious community
centered around the worship of the
Hindu god Vithoba at his temple at
Pandharpur in modern state of
Maharashtra. According to tradition,
Gora was a potter, which by the standards of the time was a very low-status
occupation; Gora’s inclusion as one of
the Varkari saints helps underscore the
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Gopuram
Towering gopurams mark the gateways to the Brhadeshvar Temple in Tanjore.
devotional (bhakti) conviction that
birth status was less important than
genuine love of God. Gora is reported to
have lived most of his life at Teradhoki
village in the state of Maharashtra, but
since he is a minor Varkari figure, little is
known about his life. For further information see G. A. Deleury, The Cult of
Vithoba, 1960; and Justin E. Abbott and
Narhar R. Godbole (trans.), Stories of
Indian Saints, 1982.