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Kolhapur
Kolhapur is famous for being a centre of Art, education, industry
and sports, particularly wrestling. Here the wresling is called as "Kusti" and wreslers 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 whole 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
tobacco is also 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.
Getting There :
The railway station
is 10 minutes walk west of Bus station, close to the centre of town.
The broad-guage line connects Kolhapur via Miraj
with Pune (8 hours), Mumbai (13 hours), Madras and Vasco da Gama.
The daily Koyana Express or the Mahalaxmi Express
goes all the way to Mumbai, taking 13 hours.
The Maharashtra Express zigzags 1220 km through the state to Nagpur.
Kolhapur
is well connected to all major cities by road.
For buses originating in Kolhapur, it is possible to book 24 hours in
advance.
There are daily departures for Satara, Bijapur, Mahabaleshwar, Pune, Ratnagiri and Belgaum.
There
are plenty of private bus companies around the square offering luxury coach services to Goa and other destinations.
Tourist Attractions :
The New Palace (Chhatrapati Sahu Museum) :
A royal palace partly converted
into an unforgettable museum, the New Palace has lush green parks, a zoo and a picturesque lake to soothe tired souls. The
museum houses rare paintings and artifacts used by the royal family. Royal weapons and a tableau depicting court life of the
last century create an aristocratic ambience.
The Town Hall Museum :
The Town Hall Museum built in
1872-76, houses pottery, bronze artefacts; old coins of the region and the antiques found in the Brahmagiri excavations.
The Old Palace :
Located behind the temple of Mahalaxmi, this magnificent structure has an impressive marqee
with filigree work in stone. It also houses a temple of the goddess Bhawani
Binkhambi Ganesh Mandir :
The Binkhambi Ganesh temple of Lord Ganesh, the elephant god, is unique and famous for having no pillars. Apart from the
devotees, the temple also attracts a lot of students of architecture who come here to study the unique structure.
Rankala Lake :
This wide and spacious lake is so called because at its centre lies the temple of Rankabhairav.
Legend has it that a golden temple is submerged under the temple of Rankabhairav. The Shalini Palace stands on the west bank
of the lake. It is built of intricately carved black stone and Italian marble. Recently, the palace was converted into a hotel.
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