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[[File:Khandoba Mhalsa Banai.jpg|thumb|Khandoba with his two chief wives: Mhalsa and Banai.]]
Khandoba has several wives from different communities, who serve as cultural links between the god and the communities; [[Mahalasa|Mhalsa]] and [[Banai (goddess)|Banai]] (Banu, Banubai) being the most important.<ref name="SontheimerF116" /> While Khandoba's first wife Mhalsa is from the [[Lingayatism|Lingayat]] merchant ([[Lingayat Vani|Vani]]) community, his second wife Banai is a [[Dhangar]] (shepherd caste). Mhalsa has had a regular ritualistic marriage with Khandoba. Banai, on the other hand, has a love marriage by capture with the god. Mhalsa is described as jealous and a good cook; Banai is erotic, resolute, but does not even know how to cook. Often folk songs tell of their quarrels. Mhalsa represents "culture" and Banai "nature". The god king Khandoba stands between them.<ref>Sontheimer in Feldhaus p.117-8</ref>
<!-- Mhalsa is believed to be a combined avatar of [[Parvati]]. Mhalsa was born as the daughter of a rich merchant in Newase called Tirmarsheth. On the divine orders of Khandoba in a dream to Tirmarsheth, she was married to Khandoba on [[Pausha]] Pournima (the full moon day of Hindu calendar month of Paush) in Pali (Pembar). Two shivlingas appeared on this occasion. An annual festival marking this event is celebrated in Pali every Paush Pournima.
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