▁name ▁P and ar anga ▁is ▁found ▁on ▁a ▁Ras ht rak uta ▁co pper ▁plate ▁ins cription , ▁dated ▁ 5 1 6 . ▁C iting ▁this , ▁P ande ▁inf ers ▁that ▁V ith oba ' s ▁cult ▁was ▁well ▁established ▁by ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Central ▁image ▁▁ ▁The ▁physical ▁characteristics ▁of ▁the ▁central ▁mur ti ▁( image ) ▁of ▁V ith oba ▁at ▁P and h arp ur , ▁and ▁various ▁text ual ▁references ▁to ▁it , ▁have ▁inspired ▁theories ▁rel ating ▁to ▁V ith oba ▁worship . ▁Sand ▁con cludes , ▁from ▁a ▁version ▁of ▁P und al ik ' s ▁legend ▁in ▁the ▁Sk anda ▁Pur ana ▁( see ▁Leg end ▁below ), ▁that ▁two ▁distinct ▁m urt is ▁must ▁have ▁existed ▁at ▁P and h arp ur — one ▁each ▁of ▁t irth a ▁and ▁k sh etra ▁type . ▁The ▁earlier ▁one ▁was ▁a ▁t irth a ▁mur ti , ▁an ▁image ▁pur pos ely ▁s ited ▁near ▁a ▁holy ▁body ▁of ▁water ▁( t irth a ), ▁in ▁this ▁case ▁facing ▁west , ▁on ▁the ▁Bh ima ▁river bed , ▁near ▁the ▁P und al ik ▁shr ine . ▁The ▁later ▁mur ti , ▁according ▁to ▁Sand , ▁was ▁a ▁k sh etra ▁mur ti , ▁located ▁at ▁a ▁place ▁of ▁holy ▁power ▁( k sh etra ), ▁in ▁this ▁case ▁facing ▁east , ▁on ▁the ▁hill ▁where ▁the ▁current ▁temple ▁has ▁stood ▁since ▁about ▁ 1 1 8 9 .