Khandoba (IAST: Khaṇḍobā), also known as Martanda Bhairava and Malhari, is a Hindu deity worshiped generally as a manifestation of Shiva mainly in the Deccan Plateau of India, especially in the state of Maharashtra and North Karnataka.

The sect of Khandoba has linkages with Hindu and Jain traditions, and also assimilates all communities irrespective of caste, including Muslims.

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.

[5] In murtis (icons), Khandoba or Mailara is depicted as having four arms, carrying a damaru (drum), trishula (trident), bhandara-patra (turmeric powder-filled bowl) and khadga (sword).

Dhere and Sontheimer suggests that the Sanskrit Mahatmya was composed around 1460–1510 AD, mostly by a Deshastha Brahmin, to whom Khandoba is the family deity.

[12] Other sources include the later texts of Jayadri Mahatmya and Martanda Vijaya by Gangadhara (1821)[13] and the oral stories of the Vaghyas, bards of the god.

[14] The legend recounts that the demon Malla and his younger brother Mani, who had gained the boon of invincibility from the god Brahma, create chaos on the earth and torment the sages.

Martanda Bhairava is described as shining like gold and the Sun, covered in turmeric (Haridra), three-eyed and with a crescent moon on his forehead.

Angered by the demon's request, Khandoba decapitates him, and his head falls at the temple stairs where it is trampled by the devotees feet.

Khandoba's wives Mhalsa and Banai are also identified with Shiva's classical Hindu wife, Parvati, and Ganga respectively.

Other myth variants narrate that Khandoba defeats a single demon named Manimalla, who offers his white horse, sometimes called Mani, to the god.

[19] Other legends depict Mhalsa (or Parvati) and Banai or Banu (or Ganga) as futilely helping Khandoba in the battle to collect the blood of Mani, every drop of which creates a new demon.

He is the patron deity of warrior, farming, herding as well as some Brahmin (priest) castes, the hunters and gatherers of the hills and forests, merchants and kings.

The devotees of Khandoba in the Deccan principally consists of Marathas and Kunabis, shepherd Dhangars, village guards and watchmen Ramoshis — a "Denotified tribe",[34][35] the former "untouchable" Mahars and Mangs, fisher-folk Kolis, balutedar castes like gardeners (Mali) and tailors (Shimpi), though it also includes of a few Brahmins and even some Muslims.

[40] The Deshastha Brahmins, Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhus,[39] as well as the royal families like Gaikwads and Holkars worship Khandoba as their Kuladevata.

[4] An important part of the Khandoba-sect is navas, a vow to perform service to the god in return for a boon of good harvest, male child, financial success etc.

The Vaghyas and their female counterparts Muralis sing and dance in honour of Khandoba and narrate his stories on jagarans — all night song-festivals, which are sometimes held after navas fulfilment.

[49][50] Another ritual in the cult is an act of chain-breaking in fulfilment of a vow or an annual family rite; the chain is identified with the snake around Shiva's neck, which was cut by the demons in the fight.

The Marathi version mentions offerings of meat and the worship by chedapatadi – "causing themselves to be cut", hook-swinging and self-mortification by viras.

The worship of Khandoba had received royal patronage by Ibrahim II, which consisted of the reinstatement of the annual jatra (fair) and the right of pilgrims to perform rituals at the Naldurg temple.

[52] The Malhari Mahatmya even records Muslims (mleccha) as the god's bhaktas (devotees), who call him as Malluka Pathan or Mallu Khan.

[6] His most important temples are: A six-day festival, from the first to sixth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month of Margashirsha, in honour of Khandoba is celebrated at Jejuri, to commemorate the fight with demons Mani-Malla.

Soon, royals of this region started erecting temples to this folk deity, upsetting the elite class of established religion who vilified Mailara.

Initially exalted as an incarnation of Shiva, Mailara was denounced by Basava, the founder of the Shiva-worshipping Lingayat sect – who would later promote the deity.

Chakradhara remarked in his biography Lilacharitra - "by the end of the Kali Yuga, temples of Vishnu and Shiva will be destroyed, but those of Mairala will stay".

In 1752, the Maratha dowager queen Tarabai chose Khandoba's Jejuri temple to seal her pact with the Peshwa ruler, Balaji Bajirao, in the deity's presence.

[69] The Malhari Mahatmya states that Khandoba first appeared on Champa-Shashthi, which was a Sunday, at Premapur, which identified as Pember (Adimailar, Mailarapur) near Bidar.

Marathi traditions tell that Khandoba came originally from Premapuri, now Pember in Karnataka, then went to Naldurg, Pali and finally to Jejuri.

Besides Mailara, Khandoba is identified with other deities of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, and is called as Mallanna, Mairala, and Mallu Khan.

Naranjanamadhva (1790) in stotra (hymn) dedicated to Khandoba calls him "an illustrious king with rich clothes and a horse with a saddle studded with jewels", who was once "an ascetic beggar who ride an old bull and carried an ant-bitten club (khatvanga)" – a humorous take on the Puranic Shiva.