The incarnation of Bhagavan Sri Krishna, Lord Vitthal Of Pandharpur wears large fish earrings. The reason of such enormous and prominent fish earrings of Vithal is associated with devotion – in Kali Yuga anything that is offered with devotion is accepted by Lord. This story clearly shows equality in Sanatana Dharma.
Hindu society is under the cloud of ignorance of caste. Once, a poor fisherman came to visit Lord Vitthal. He wanted to offer the fish he had caught on that day to Lord Vitthal. The high class people of the region, priests and other ignorant devotees did not allow the fisherman to have darshan of Lord Vitthal.
The priests asked him to get away from the temple premises as they thought carrying fish was sin.
The poor fisherman tried to reason with them; he told them that he was an ardent devotee of Vithal. He did not have anything to give to the Lord. Today, he caught two beautiful fishes and he wanted to offer them to the Lord.
His pleading had no effect on the ignorant priests and pundits.
The fisherman stood there with tears flowing from his eyes. He prayed to Vithal to accept his offerings.
Such was his devotion that Lord Vitthal walked out from the sanctum sanctorum and accepted the fish and wore them as his earrings. Even today, these earrings stand testimony to what a person can achieve through unwavering devotion.
The fisherman had come directly from work with his catch. He did not take any food and he did not once think about selling the fish and making money. How can Lord Vitthal be inaccessible to such a devotee?
Lord Vitthal accepts anything that is offered by anybody with love and devotion. Man-made society and its rules do not apply to gods in Hinduism. Caste, creed, religion, male, female, animal, child all these kind of divisions are the product of the ignorance of man. Lord Vitthal does not subscribe to any of them. Everything is the result of his will and he is present in all animate and inanimate.