Baithak or Bethak, (बैठक, literally "seat"), is a shrine in the Pushtimarg tradition of Vaishnavism that commemorates a specific location where Vallabhacharya (1479–1531) performed religious activities. These sites are considered sacred by followers for performing devotional rituals and are associated with the founder and his descendants.

The Baithaks are primarily associated with the proselytizing pilgrimages Vallabhacharya undertook across the Indian subcontinent to spread his devotional teachings. The most prominent collection of these sites is the '''Eighty-Four Seats''' (''Caurāsī Baiṭhak''). The tradition maintains that the act of visiting these sites constitutes a pilgrimage.

These sites are spread across India, chiefly concentrated in the Braj region in Uttar Pradesh and the western state of Gujarat. A total of 142 Baithaks are considered sacred: 84 of Vallabhacharya, 28 of his son Viththalanath Gusainji, and 30 of his seven grandsons.

Significance and function The Caurāsī Baiṭhak specifically marks the eighty-four primary sites where Vallabhacharya sat to recite and provide oral exegesis on the Bhāgavatapurāṇa.Bachrach 2022, p. 55. Vallabhacharya’s intense commitment to the Bhāgavatapurāṇa was central to his mode of religious instruction, and the readings delivered at these locations are believed by followers to have transformed the lives of those who heard him.Bachrach 2022, p. 55.

The shrines often house hand-written manuscripts and personal artifacts of Vallabhacharya. Unlike many Hindu temples, Baithaks generally do not house images (murti) for worship; instead, devotees revere the seat itself and the manuscripts. Devotees offer personal items such as clothes and ornaments at these shrines. However, unlike the elaborate meals typically offered in temples, food offerings at Baithaks are often limited to water, sugar crystals and milk made sweetmeats. This is due to Shri Mahaprabhuji’s rule that he doesn’t eat from the hands of Vaishnavas but he cooks and eats himself after offering to Shri Navneetpriyaji during Pruthvi Parikrama. These sites generally observe the schedule of seven darshan periods (viewing periods) followed in Vaishnava havelis.

Associated literature The tradition surrounding the Baithaks is recorded in the devotional literature of the Pushtimarg, known as Vārtā Sāhitya ("Chronicle Literature").Bachrach 2022, pp. 34-35. This corpus is crucial to the community's scriptural canon. It includes texts that function as a "theology of place," guiding pilgrims through the geographical sites associated with Vallabhacharya's religious activity.Bachrach 2022, p. 55, n. 59.

Baithaks Vallabhacharya Mahaprabhu was the founder of Pushtimarg who lived in 15th century. From the young age, he travelled and visited pilgrimage sites across India. He recited and gave discourses on sacred scriptures like Vedas, Ramayana and Bhagavata at these sites. The locations for recitation were usually banks of the rivers or lakes and quite groves in outskirt of towns. He recited original texts from scriptures as well as gave commentaries on them. Later these commentaries were compiled in Anubhashya and Subodhini.

These are 84 sites where Vallabhacharya gave discourses which are known as Baithaks. Later small shrines are built to commemorate the event at some sites. Some sites do not have shrines or temples to mark the place but they are known only through stories and texts.

His descendants also gave discourses at various places and established their Baithaks.

Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya's 84 Baithaks

These 84 Baithaks are located from Rameswaram at the southern tip of India to Badrinath in the north, and from Narayan Sarovar and Bet Dwarka in west to Puri in the east. Baithaks are also located at the places associated with his life such as at Tirumala Tirupati, the family's tutelary deity; Champaran, his birthplace; Varanasi where he spent significant part of his life. Baithaks are also located in the regions highly associated with Krishna such as in Braj region (now roughly corresponding to Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh) and in Dwarka in Gujarat.

+84 Baithaks of VallabhaNumberBaithak NameLocationTown/CityDistrictStateCoordinatesNotes1GovindghatGokulMathuraMathuraUttar PradeshThis baiṭhak is the main ghat of Gokul and is where Vallabha initiated his first disciple.2Badi Bhitar BaithakGokulGokulMathuraUttar PradeshSecond Gokul Baithak, Gupta Baithak3Shayya MandirDwarkadhish TempleGokulMathuraUttar PradeshThird Gokul Baithak4BansivatVrindavanMathuraUttar Pradesh5VishramghatVishramghat (on bank of Yamuna river)MathuraMathuraUttar Pradesh6MadhuvanMadhuvanMaholiMathuraUttar Pradesh7KumodvanKumodvanUsfarMathuraUttar Pradesh8BahulavanBahulavanBathiMathuraUttar Pradesh9Radhakrishna KundRadhakundMathuraUttar Pradesh10Mansiganganear Chakreshwar Mahadev, Vallabh GhatGovardhanMathuraUttar PradeshTwo Baithaks11ParasoliChandrasarovarGovardhanMathuraUttar Pradesh12AnyorSadu Pandey's HouseAnyorMathuraUttar Pradesh13Govindkundopposite GirirajAnyorMathuraUttar Pradesh14Sundershilaopposite foothill of GirirajJatipuraMathuraUttar Pradesh15Govardhan hillinside Shrinathji's Temple on Giriraj hillJatipuraMathuraUttar PradeshGupta Baithak16KamvanKamvan, ShrikundKamanBharatpurRajasthan17Ghewarvannear Radhaji's Temple, below MorkutirBarsanaMathuraUttar Pradesh18Sanketvanin the Garden, Krishna KundBarsanaMathuraUttar Pradesh19NandgamMansarovar RoadNandgamMathuraUttar Pradesh20KokilavanJauvBaithenMathuraUttar Pradesh21BhandirvanOpposite bank of Yamuna riverBhandir, Manjh TalukaMathuraUttar PradeshGupta Baithak22Mansarovar (Makhan)Opposite bank of Yamuna riverMatMathuraUttar Pradesh23Sukar kshetra (Soramji/Sauroji)Saurabhghat on bank of Ganga riverSoronKasganjUttar Pradesh24ChitrakutKamtanath hillPili KothiSatnaMadhya Pradesh25 AyodhyaRamghat Road, Gunsai GhatAyodhyaFaizabadUttar PradeshGupta Baithak26Naimisharanyaopposite Vedvyasa AshramNaimisharanya, Taluka MishrakSitapurUttar PradeshGupta Baithak27Kashi-1Sheth Purushottamdas' House JatanvadVaranasiKashiUttar Pradesh28Kashi-2Hanuman GhatVaranasiKashiUttar Pradesh29Harihar Kshetra (Sonpur) Baithakji Hajipurnear Mahadevji's temple, Magarhatta ChowkHajipurVaishaliBihar30JanakpurBhagwandas Garder, near Chhoti Dhigi village (Hajipur)JanakpurVaishaliBiharGupta Baithak31Gangasagar Sangamnear Kapil Ashram, on Kapil Kund, Kakdwip BetWest BengalGupta Baithak32Champaranyavia RajimChamparanRaipurChhattisgarhBirthplace33Champaranya Chattigharvia RajimChamparanRaipurChhattisgarh34Jagannathpurinear Harjimal Dudhwala'S Dharmshala, Grant RoadPuriOdisha35Pandharpuropposite Bank of River Chandrabagha, ShegaondumalaPandharpurMaharashtra36NasikParasram Puriya Marg, Panchvati KaranjaNasikMaharashtra37Pannakala NrisimhaOn Mangalgiri hill, Mangalgiri StationVijayawadaAndhra PradeshGupt Baithak38Tirupati Lakshman BalajiLakshman Balaji, Medharam Metta RoadTirumalaAndhra Pradesh39ShrirangjiShrirangamTiruchirappalliTamil NaduGupta Baithak40VishnukanchiChetravatri MuttukolamVishnukanchiTamil Nadu41SetubandhVallabhacharya MathRameshwaramRamnadTamil NaduGupta Baithak42Malayachal ParvatMalayachal Parvat near OotyKarnatakaGupta Baithak43LohgadhGujarati Temple, beside Rudreshwar Temple, Harvane - SankhadiSanquelimNorth GoaGoaGupta Baithak44Tamraparni RiverOn the bankTiruchirappalliTamil NaduGupta Baithak45Krishna RiverKrishna Dham, Vadi Junction near Raichur StationKrishnaAndhra PradeshGupta Baithak46Pampa Sarovarnear Hampi Village, Haspeth Railway StationKarnatakaGupta Baithak47PadmanabhPondhanathThiruvananthapuramKeralaGupta Baithak48Janardan KshetraJanardan KshetraVarkalaKerala49VidyanagarHampi Village, near Tungbhadra RiverHampiKarnatakaGupta Baithak50TrilokbhanTamraparni River, Totadri hillTamil NaduGupta Baithak51TotadriTotadri hill, Nangumeri villageTirunelveliTirunelveliTamil NaduGupta Baithak52DarvasenAdisetuRamnadTamil NaduGupta Baithak53SuratAshwinikumar Ghat, near Tapi RiverSuratSuratGujarat54Bharuchbeside District Panchayat, Station Road, on bank of Narmada riverBharuchBharuchGujarat55Morbiopposite Bank of Machchhu River, behind L.E. CollegeMorbiMorbiGujarat56Jamnagarnear Nagmati River, Kalavad RoadJamnagarJamnagarGujarat57JamkhambhaliyaStation Road, on the KundJamkhambhaliyaDevbhoomi DwarkaGujarat58Pindtarakfrom Nandana Patiya Via Bhatiya, PindaraPindaraDevbhoomi DwarkaGujarat59Mul GomtiDevidas Nathuram, Neelakantha ChowkDwarkaDevbhoomi DwarkaGujarat60Harikund, Dwarkanear Gomti RiverDwarkaDevbhoomi DwarkaGujarat61Gopi TalavDwarkaDevbhoomi DwarkaGujarat62Bet ShankhoddharShankh TalavBet DwarkaDevbhoomi DwarkaGujarat63Narayan SarovarNarayan Sarovar, Lakhpat TalukaNarayan SarovarKutchGujarat64JunagadhDamodar KundJunagadhJunagadhGujarat65Somnath (Veraval)on the Ghat of Triveni RiverVeravalGir SomnathGujarat66Madhavpuron KadamkundMadhavpur GhedPorbandarGujarat67Gupta Prayag (Junagadh)on TrivenikundDelvadaJunagadhGujarat68TagadiAhmedabad - Botad RoadTagadiAhmedabadGujarat69NarodaGopaldasji Haveli, NarodaAhmedabadAhmedabadGujarat70GodhraRana Vyas Road, Patel Vad, GodhraGodhraPanchmahalGujarat71KheraluShrimalivasKheraluMehsanaGujarat72SiddhpurBindu Sarovar RoadSiddhpurPatanGujarat73Avantikapuri (Ujjain)Gomti Kund, inside Sandipani AshramUjjainUjjainMadhya Pradesh74PushkarNear Brahma Mandir, VallabhghatPushkarAjmerRajasthan75KurukshetraSaraswati Kund, near Bhadkrali temple, ThanesarKurukshetraKurukshetraHaryanaGupta Baithak76HaridwarRamghat, on bank of Ganga riverHaridwarHaridwarUttarakhandGupta Baithak77Badrikashramnear TempleBadrinathChamoliUttarakhand78KedarnathKedar KundBadrinathChamoliUttarakhandGupta Baithak79Vyas Ashramnear Alaknanda - Saraswati Sangam, Keshav PrayagBadrinathChamoliUttarakhandGupta Baithak80Himachal ParvatHimachal PradeshGupta Baithak81Vyas GangaVyasghatHimachal PradeshGupta Baithak82MandarachalMandarachal hillTamil NaduGupta Baithak83Arail (Prayag)/AdelTriveni SangamDevrakh, NainiAllahabadUttar Pradesh84CharnatAcharya Koop Charnat (Charnadri)ChunarMirzapurUttar Pradesh

Vallabhkula Baithaks Many Baithaks of Vallabhkula, the descendants of the Vallabhacharya are at the sites of Baithaks of Vallabhacharya. This Baithaks are sanctified by Viththalnath Gusainji and his seven sons. 28 Baithaks are associated with Gusainji Viththalnath while 30 more Baithaks are associated with his seven sons.

They are as follows:

28 Baithaks of Gusainji Viththalnath, younger son of Vallabhacharya

4 Baithaks of Giridharji, the eldest son of Viththalanath

Gokul Jatipura, in Mathuraji temple near Gosainji's Baithak caves of Kamara hill Narisevan, near Dauji's temple

1 Baithak of Balkrishnalalji, third son of Viththalnath

Gokul in Dwarakadhish templeOther Baithak is said to be situated near a water tank in Vinjhana village.

13 Baithaks of Gokulnathji, fourth son of Viththalnath – 13 Baithaks

1 Baithak of Raghunathji, fifth son of Viththalnath

Gokul

1 Baithak of Ghanshyamji, youngest son of Viththalnath

Gokul

7 Baithaks of Harirai Mahaprabhu

Gokul, in the Vithalnath's temple. Nathadwara, in the temple of Vithalnath Khamanor Jaisalmer, on the banks of Gomati river Sawali, near lake Jambusar, near lake

3 Baithaks of Damodardas Harsani, devotee of Vallabhacharya

Thakaranighat in Gokul Bansighat in Vrindavan Khambhalia, near Mahaprabhu's Baithak

References