The central deity Khandoba, also called Malhari-Martand, Mallukhana, and Khanderaya, is one of the most popular deities of Maharashtra. Khandoba is regarded as a manifestation of the god Shiva.

Khandoba is the Kuladevata (ancestral tutelary deity) of many peoples of Maharashtra.The Dhangar tribe, herdsmen, shepherds, nomads, and farmers of Maharashtra worship Jejuri’s Khandoba.