Kolhapur is a historic Maratha city and also known as the land of magnificent temples in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. Lying on the banks of the river Panchganga and considered the ‘religious pride’, it’s also a city of palaces and gardens. Beautifully tucked away into the serene laps of the Sahyadri mountain ranges, the city has a rich past whose imprints are strongly visible in the arts and culture of the city.
The present day Kolhapur is a hub of spiritualism and education where the air of modernization exists with the art of the yore. Once the princely state of repute, it thrived under the sway of Chhatrapati’s of Kolhapur whose vision helped in the foundation of the modern avatar. Rich in cultural and archeological heritage, the city is also referred to as 'Dakshin Kashi' for its enormous prosperity on the history and art front.
Kolhapur has everything that a historic city is supposed to – from wonderful temples to forts to lakes to monuments to lovely gardens. The biggest attraction here is surely the Ambabai (Mahalakshmi) Temple, which draws millions of devotees each year. The temple is the core identity of a city which ranks high on the list of pilgrimage. Irwin Agricultural Museum and Dakshin Kashi and Bahubali Jain temple also get a big number of visitors.
Kolhapur has many well-known temples, and Bhavani Mandap is one of them, which is dedicated to goddess Tulja Bhavani (also known as Bhavani). For children, Rankala Lake would be a perfect place, especially for is lovely garden. The striking shalini palace along the lake would surely make your heart skip a beat. Other notable places of worth here include Khasbag Wrestling Stadium, Town Hall Museum, New Palace Museum and Chandrakant Mandare Art Gallery.
Apart from tourist attractions, Kolhapur is globally known for its Kolhapuri Chappals and Jaggery. More so, the city has few popular delicacies of repute, including Kolhapuri Misal and Kolhapur Rassa. Shopping would be a fun here with a great variety of textile items, gift items and artifacts. In overall, visit Kolhapur to feel the history, art and culture of a wonderful place whose fame is also spiritual and commercial!
The closest airport is at Pune. You may hire a cab from there, or take a bus to Kolhapur.
How to reach Kolhapur by Rail
Kolhapur Railway Station is named after Chatrapati Shahu Maharaj, and is well connected across India to major cities. It falls on the Central Railway section of the Pune-Miraj-Kolhapur. There are regular trains for Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Tirupati etc. and weekly trains for, among others, Delhi, Ahmedabad.
How to reach Kolhapur by Road
Kolhapur lies on National Highway 4 that connects Bangalore and Mumbai. Kolhapur is approximately an 8-hour drive from Mumbai while it is about 3 hours from Pune. There are state-run buses from Pune and Mumbai leaving one every half hour and one hour for Kolhapur respectively. There are also private buses to Kolhapur.
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