About Kolhapur City

Kolhapur is famous for being a centre of Art, education, industry and sports, particularly wrestling. Here the wrestling is called as "Kusti" and wrestlers are known as "Malla". This wrestling match is played in the square clay ground which is known as "Akhada".

Similar to "The Operation Flood" project in Gujrat, in Kolhapur the "Warna Project" was started and till date is famous for huge amount of generation of milk and milk products which are transported to the all over of India.

Kolhapur comes under sugarcane belt and because of this people are very rich and live prosperous life.

Kolhapuri chappals are renowned for their durability and beauty of make.

“Kolhapuri Saaj” is a special type of neckless which is very popular with Maharastrian Women. The 'saaj' is designed in all over Maharashtra but the Kolhapuri Saaj is very famous.

It is an important centre of Marathi film industry. Kolhapur possesses historical as well as mythological importance. It is known as Dakshin kashi on account of its deity Mahalakshmi or Ambabai. The Ambabai temple was built by the Chalukya King Karnadeve in 634 AD.The Irwin Agricultural Museum of Kolhapur has some old Andhra coins. Bahubali, Jain Pilgrim centre, lies at a distance of 38 km from Kolhapur.

Reaching Kolhapur City

Air: It is a one-hour journey from Bombay to Kolhapur by air. The Ujalaiwadi airport is 10-km away from Kolhapur Main City. One can also travel from Kolhapur to the nearest Airport Pune , which is 238-Km away.

Rail: Kolhapur has a railway station and it's an 11-hour journey from Mumbai or Bangalore to Kolhapur.

Road: Kolhapur is about 450-km south of Mumbai and it's a ten to eleven hour journey from Mumbai or Banglore to Kolhapur by road. Maharashtra State Transport Corporation (MSTC) has regular service in this route with semi luxury and regular buses. Even private bus service is available to reach here from Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Solapur (also spelt as Sholapur) and Bangalore.

Local Transport: Auto-rickshaws are the most common mode of transport along with the bus service run by the municipal corporation. Taxis are available.

Places of Tourist Interest

Maharaja's Palace The maharaja's 'new' palace, completed in 1881, houses the Shahaji Chhatrapati Museum, one of the most bizarre collections of memorabilia in India. The building was designed by 'Mad' Charles Mant, the British architect who fashioned the Indo-saracenic style of colonial architecture and is a cross between a Victorian railway station and the Addams Family mansion.

The palace contains a weird and wonderful array of the old maharaja's possessions including his clothes, old hunt photos, silver peocock-shaped elephant saddles and the memorial silver spade he used to 'turn the first sod of the Kolhapur State Railway' in 1888. But dominating every room in the palace are reminders of the maharaja's passion: killing wild animals to decorate his palace.

Skins cover floors and furniture, trophy heads stare blankly from the walls, ashtrays, and coffee tables are made from tiger and elephant feet, lamp stands from ostrich legs and zebra hoofs. The variety of stuffed animals includes a black bear, rhino, pangolin, panther and an entire pride of lions in a forest diorama! There is even a painting of the Maharani entitled 'The world's Greatest Woman Pig Sticker'. The gun and sword collection could easily outfit a small army: dozens of swords, axes, pistols, punt guns, and instruments, of torture fill the armaments room. The most unusual piece is a gold-plated, double barrelled shotgun. The palace is a few km north of the center.

Panhala Hill Station It is a little-visited hill station 18km northwest of Kolhapur, and makes an interesting excursion from Kolhapur. The hilltop fort has a long and convoluted history. It was originally the stronghold of Raja Bhoj II in 1192, was captured by both the Mughals and the Marathas and was finally taken by the British in 1844. The Pawala Caves are nearby, as well as a couple of Buddhist cave temples.

PRIME ATTRACTIONS



Mahalaxmi Temple	Town Hall



	Khasbag Maidan / Akhada (Kushti Ground)



Binkhambi Ganesh Temple	Rankala Lake


	Jyotiba Temple
Kolhapuri Saaj (jewelry)


Kolhapuri Chappal	Tryamboli Temple



Panhala Fort	Bhavani Mandap



New Palace	Shalini Palace