, ▁like ▁most ▁other ▁past oral ▁gods . ▁This ▁is ▁back ed ▁by ▁the ▁facts ▁that ▁the ▁temple ▁at ▁P and h arp ur ▁is ▁surrounded ▁by ▁Sh a iva ▁tem ples ▁( most ▁not ably ▁of ▁the ▁dev ote e ▁P und al ik ▁himself ), ▁and ▁that ▁V ith oba ▁is ▁crown ed ▁with ▁the ▁L ing a , ▁symbol ▁of ▁Sh iva . ▁However , ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century , ▁the ▁poet - s ain ts ▁like ▁Nam dev , ▁E kn ath ▁and ▁T uk aram ▁identified ▁V ith oba ▁with ▁V ish nu . ▁ ▁Christian ▁Lee ▁Nov etz ke ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Washington ▁suggests ▁that ▁V ith oba ' s ▁worship ▁migr ated ▁from ▁K arn ata ka ▁to ▁the ▁formerly ▁Sh a iva ▁city ▁of ▁P and h arp ur ▁some ▁time ▁before ▁ 1 0 0 0   CE ; ▁but ▁under ▁the ▁possible ▁influence ▁of ▁a ▁Kr ish na - wor sh ipping ▁Mah an ub h ava ▁sect , ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁transformed ▁into ▁a ▁Va ish n ava ▁center ▁of ▁pil gr image . ▁This ▁proposal ▁is ▁consistent ▁with ▁contemporary ▁rem n ants ▁of ▁Sh a iva ▁worship ▁in ▁the ▁town . ▁ ▁The ▁religious ▁historian ▁R . C . ▁D here , ▁winner ▁of ▁the ▁Sah ity a ▁Akadem i ▁Award ▁for ▁his ▁book ▁Sri ▁Vit th al : ▁Ek ▁Mah as aman v aya , ▁op ines ▁that ▁V ith oba ▁worship ▁may ▁be ▁even ▁older