Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business 
Kolhapur is a historic city on the Panchganga River in southern Maharashtra, India, famous for the Mahalakshmi Temple, its royal palaces and Kolhapuri food and sandals. Because of its ancient goddess shrine, it is often called Dakshin Kashi, the Kashi of the South.
The city was the capital of the Maratha princely state of Kolhapur, ruled by descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji, and the reforming ruler Shahu Maharaj is still honored here. Their legacy survives in the black stone New Palace, the Shalini Palace on Rankala Lake and the old durbar hall of Bhavani Mandap.
Begin at the Mahalakshmi Temple and Bhavani Mandap in the old city, then visit the New Palace and end the day at Rankala Lake. Spend another day on Panhala Fort and the Jyotiba Temple in the hills, and add the carved Kopeshwar Temple or the Radhanagari forests if time allows. October to February is the most pleasant season.
Mahalakshmi Temple, also called Ambabai Mandir, stands in the old heart of Kolhapur and is the city's most revered shrine. Dedicated to the goddess Mahalakshmi, it is counted among the Shakti Peethas, and its ancient stone halls draw pilgrims from across Maharashtra and southern India.
Jyotiba Temple stands on a hill at about 3,124 feet, around 18 km northwest of Kolhapur, and is dedicated to the god Jyotiba. The present temple was built in 1730 by Ranoji Shinde from fine black basalt. A large fair fills the hill each year on the full moon of the Hindu month of Chaitra.
Kopeshwar Temple at Khidrapur, on the Krishna River east of Kolhapur, is a 12th-century Shiva temple built under the Shilahara kings. Its base rests on a row of carved stone elephants, and its Swargamandapa hall is open to the sky. The outer walls are covered in finely carved figures.
Narsobawadi is a pilgrimage town in Kolhapur district where the Panchganga River meets the Krishna. It is a major shrine of Lord Dattatreya, linked to the saint Nrusinha Saraswati, who is believed to have lived here for 12 years. Devotees bathe at the riverside ghats beside the temple.
New Palace in Kolhapur was built between 1877 and 1884 in polished black stone for the rulers of the Kolhapur state. The eight-sided building has a central clock tower, gardens, a fountain and a wrestling ground. It is still a royal residence, and part of the palace is open as a museum.
Rankala Lake is a freshwater lake in Kolhapur, known for its scenery, boating and horse riding. It formed in the 9th century, when an earthquake damaged an old stone quarry and water rose from an underground source. The lake features a small temple with a Nandi, and Shalini Palace overlooks it.
Shalini Palace stands on the west bank of Rankala Lake in Kolhapur and was built in 1931 to 1934, named after Princess Shalini Raje. Made of carved black stone and Italian marble with etched Belgian glass, it later served as a hotel. It is now closed and is best admired from the lakeside.
Bhavani Mandap is a historic royal building in the old walled center of Kolhapur, just west of the Mahalakshmi Temple. It once served as the durbar of the Chhatrapati maharajas and housed their court offices. Its courtyard holds a life-size statue of Shahu Maharaj, the city's most loved ruler.
Panhala Fort crowns a hill about 20 km northwest of Kolhapur, guarding a pass in the Western Ghats on an old trade route to the coast. Built between 1178 and 1209, it became a key Maratha stronghold, linked to Shivaji's escape during the Battle of Pavan Khind, and rises over 400 m above the plain.
Vishalgad is a hill fort in Kolhapur district, also known as Khelna, built by the Shilahara king Bhoja II between 1178 and 1209. It is famous as the refuge Shivaji reached after escaping from Panhala in 1660, while his men held back the pursuing Bijapur army at the pass of Pavan Khind.
Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary lies in the Western Ghats in Kolhapur district and was the first wildlife sanctuary declared in Maharashtra, in 1958. Known as the Bison Sanctuary for its Indian gaur, it is part of the Western Ghats UNESCO World Heritage Site, with dense forests, rivers and lakes.
Siddhagiri Gramjivan Museum is a sculpture museum at Kaneri in Kolhapur district, on the campus of the Siddhagiri Math. Spread over 7 acres, it shows traditional village life in Maharashtra in almost 80 scenes with more than 300 lifelike statues of farmers, goldsmiths, barbers and others.
No reviews yet. Been to Kolhāpur? Be the first to share your experience.
Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.
Log in to write a reviewBeen to Kolhāpur? Add your best shots to the gallery.
Log in to add photosPhoto: Vijayshankar.munoli, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Lovelitjadhav, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Shivajidesai29, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Dastan98, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ankur P, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Unmesh Vijay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ankur P from Pune, India, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Abhijit R. Padhye, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Pradeep717, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ankur P from Pune, India, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: सुबोध पाठक, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Dharmadhyaksha, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Sushilfartade, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Sharvarism, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Shailesh.patil, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: en:User:KoolKrazy, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Ankur P, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Kolnil, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Pmangaonkar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Amol Bakshi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ankur P from Pune, India, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Rupeshpjadhav, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Avinashisonline, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ankur P, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Onkar15, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: आर्या जोशी, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ankur P from Pune, India, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ankur P from Pune, India, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Prasad2092, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Sajanpatil, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Satyamvijay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Satyamvijay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Satyamvijay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
