| Kolhapur | |
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| Coordinates | 16°42′00″N 74°14′00″E / 16.7000°N 74.2333°E |
| Country |  India |
| State | Maharashtra |
| District(s) | Kolhapur |
| Mayor | Sagar Chavan |
| Population | 493,167 (2001) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Area • Elevation |
• 569 m (1,867 ft) |
Kolhapur 
pronunciation (help·info) (Marathi: कोल्हापूर) is a city situated in the south-west corner of Maharashtra, India. The population of Kolhapur city was 493,167, as per the 2001 census.[1] Kolhapaur also serves as the headquarters of the Kolhapur District. As is the case in most of the Maharashtra cities, the main language spoken here is Marathi. Kolhapur is situated on the banks of river Panchganga and is the location of the Temple of Mahalakshmi, an Indian Goddess. The city also lends its name to many common products such as Kolhapuri chappal , Kolhapuri lavangi mirchi, Kolhapuri gur and Kolhapuri cuisine. The most famous part of the kolhapuri cuisine is the Red meat preparations called Tambada Rassa (Red Curry) and Pandhara Rassa (White Curry) as also Suke Mutton (Dry Meat).
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Kolhapur city is located in south-westen Maharashtra at 16°42′N 74°13′E / 16.7°N 74.22°E.[2] It has an average elevation of 545 metres (1788 ft). By road, Kolhapur is 228 km south of Pune, 615 km north-west of Bangalore and 530 km west of Hyderabad.[3] The nearest cities and towns within Maharashtra are Ichalkaranji (20 km), Kagal (17 km), Sangli (50 km), Miraj (45 km)
Kolhapur's climate is a blend of coastal and inland climate of Maharashtra. The temperature has a relatively narrow range between 12°C to 35°C. Summer in Kolhapur is comparatively cooler, but much more humid, compared to neighbouring inland cities. Maximum temperatures rarely exceed 38°C and typically range between 33 to 35°C. Lows during this season are around 24°C to 26°C. Though temperatures are rarely as high as in inland Maharashtra, high humidity often makes the weather muggy and unpleasant. The city receives abundant rainfall from June to September due to its proximity to the Western Ghats. The heavy rains often lead to severe flooding in these months. Temperatures are low in the rainy season and range between 23°C to 30°C. Kolhapur experiences winter from November to February. The winter temperatures are significantly higher compared to other cities in Maharashtra such as Pune and Nasik. Lows range from 12°C to 16°C while highs are in the range of 29°C to 32°C. Humidity is low in this season making weather much more pleasant. In 2005 & 2006 there was excessive rainfall in Kolhapur resulting in floods.
Kolhapur is a very ancient city, famous for its food, headwear, footwear, jewellery, wrestling and religious connections[citation needed]. According to legend it was settled by Kolhasur, a demon who was later killed by Mahalakshmi to relieve the local populace. However, honouring the demon's dying wish, the city was named after him. Kolhapur finds mentions in Devi Gita, the final and most important chapter of the Srimad Devi Bhagawatam, as one the important places of Shakti worship, "Devi spoke:..."O King of Mountains! Still I am now telling something out of My affection to My Bhaktas. Hear. There is a great place of pilgrimage named Kolhapura in the southern country. Here the Devi Laksmi always dwells...." [4].
During 940-1212 CE, it was the capital of the Shilahara dynasty of Kolhapur. An inscription at Teradal mentions that king Gonka was healed from snakebite by a Jain monk and Gonk had built a temple of Lord Neminath. Many Jain temples in that region build in the next couple of century are called Gonka-Jinalya after him. During the reign of Bhoja I, a dynamic Acharya Maghanandi helped establish an institute at Rupanarayana-Basadi. Several of the kings and nobles of the dynasty were disciples of Maghanandi. Maghanandi is often called Siddhanta-chakravarti ie the great master of the scriptures, Gandaraditya I was his disciple. He is sometimes called "Kolapuriya" to distinguish him from many other Acharyas with the name Maghanandi.
Khidrapur The Kopeshwar (shiva) Temple - located in Kolhapur district, it is known for one of most outstanding and beautiful examples of Temple Architecture in India, It was built by Shilahara King Gandaraditya, Vijayaditya and Bhoj-II between 1109 and 1178 A.D
see Kolhapur history
Majority of the city dwellers are Marathas along with smaller communities of Gujaratis, Marwadis, Maharashtrian Jains, Lingayats and Sindhis with considerable poulation of Muslims next to Marathas. Communal harmony has been the proud culture of Kolhapur. Kolhapur has the distinction of having two Bhattaraka seats, that of Lakshmisena Swami and of Jinasena Swami which has shifted from Nandni to Kolhapura.
Kolhapur has one of the highest per-capita income for a city in India. Trade is mostly dependent on farming of cash crops like sugarcane, the metal industry with important inputs from textiles and mining. The prosperity and the resulting spending prowess of the Kolhapuri people was famously reported in a list of cities with the highest number of Mercedes cars in the state of Maharashtra, where Kolhapur came second only to Mumbai[5]. Similarly, Kolhapur also attracts lots of shoppers from around the region. The main shopping hub of the city is Mahadwar Road, near Mahalaxmi Temple inside the old city walls. Showrooms of adidas,RBK,Wrangler,Pepe Jeans etc. have also popped up in the historically residential area, Rajarampuri.
Another field that Kolhapur prides itself of is films. In certain circles, Kolhapur was and is still considered the capital of the Marathi film industry which produces 1 or 2 movies in 2–3 years[citation needed]. Legendary personalities like Bhalaji Pendharkar, Baburao Painter and V. Shantaram started their careers from Kolhapur. It has been credited as the place where Raja Harishchandra, the first feature film ever produced in India was conceptualised. Kolhapur still plays host to many film festivals and provides location for shooting. Kolhapur is also a strong political center[citation needed]. Nationalist Congress Party along with Congress are the current political powerhouses in the region.
Kolhapur is home to many successful businesses and industries[citation needed] . Major businesses include sugar industry, foundry Industry, machine shops, textile, equipment manufacturing ,Milk industry etc[citation needed] . It has recorded the highest per capita income in Asia[citation needed] .
Local transportation includes auto rickshaws and buses run by KMT (Kolhapur Municipal Transport).
Kolhapur Railway Station is named "Chatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus" or "C Shahu Maharaj Terminus" (Station code: KOP). It was moved from the South Central to Central Railways in 2003.[6] It has daily trains to Mumbai, Pune, Tirupati, Bangalore, Bhopal, Nagpur and Hyderabad. The weekly Nizammuddin Express is the only direct train to Bhopal and Delhi. The station also runs an inter-city shuttle service between Kolhapur and Miraj (Sangli). However, the station lacks direct connectivity with Ahmedabad, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Lucknow, Madurai, Mysore and Trivandrum, despite of being an important station[citation needed].
Interestingly, this station does not appear on the website of Indian Railways; it is misnamed as "C Shahumharaj T". Because the station is named after Shahu Maharaj, it is entered so on the Railway website.
The National Highway (NH 4) connecting Pune and Bangluru passes through Kolhapur, it has excellent connectivity with a number of major cities in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Bus is a more preferred mode of transport due to its wider network and speed. Buses run by private companies are generally considered more comfortable and reliable, with most offering sleeper and air conditioned coaches. Kolhapur has multiple state transport bus stands like central bus stand (CBS),Rankala & Sambhajinagar bus stand spread around the city. These provide services connecting to most of cities in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa and some places in Andhra Pradesh. The private companies generally serve the more popular routes, to and from big cities, like Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Panjim, Nashik, Belgaum, Dharwad, Hubli, Solapur, Hyderabad, Ratnagiri, Shirdi and Tirupati.
MSRTC runs a high frequency intercity bus service from Kolhapur to the Sangli-Miraj twin cities, which are 50 km from Kolhapur. There are buses to Sangli almost every 10 minutes from Kolhapur.
The city has an airport near Ujlaiwadi, 13 km from the city center connecting Kolhapur to Mumbai. King Fisher Airlines offers daily flights from Mumbai & Belgaum which take about an hour to reach Kolhapur[citation needed]. More number of flights are proposed for developmental purposes.
[7] During the historic period from First century before Christ to ninth century AD, Kolhapur was situated on the Brahmpuri hills. The excavations on the hill and the research on items found there indicate that during Satwahan period there was wealthy and cultured population staying there. From 225 AD to 550 AD there was dynasty of royal families of Wakatak, Kadamb, Shedrak and Mourya. During 550 Ad to 753 AD there was kingdom of Chalukya family from Badami. In 634 AD, King Karnadeo from this family started construction of Mahalaxmi temple. Almost all Chalukys kings address Kolhapur as ‘Dakshin Kashi’ or 'Mahateerth'. In 753 AD to 850 AD Rashtrakut dynasty was established in the south. Kolhapur region also came under their jurisdiction. From that time to 1210 AD there was kingdom of Shilahar in Kolhapur. Kolhapur has played a major role during that period as a main power center of Shilahaar kingdom. Kolhapur has been referred as Mahateerth in the stone carvings during the period of Gandaradivya king. He completed the construction of Mahalaxmi temple. His sister Chandrikadevi was married with Chalukya King Second Vikramaditya and the wealth of Kolhapur started growing.
Brahmpuri, Uttareshwar, Kholkhandoba, Rankala, Padmala and Ravaneshwar were the main natural centers of Kolhapur city in the ancient time. Hence the Kolhapur region was known as of historical importance. The above centres were like small villages at that time. In ninth century Ad, Mahalaxmi temple was established and these centers were bound in to strong cultural and financial center. Archeologists believe that stone carvings, literature and architecture suggest that Mahalaxmi temple’s wealthy background cannot be taken back beyond 9th century A.D. ie. Rashtrakuta dynasty.
Kolhapur in the light of geographical and cultural context. Karvir Peeth is referred as Dakshin Kashi in old literature. Mahalaxmi lifted the city by her pious hands to a safe place during in Pralay calamity. Hence the city was aptly named as ‘Karvir’. This hypothesis was suggested by Major Graham. In Karvir Mahatmya it is mentioned that Karvirnagar is the city lifted by Karvirnivasini Mahalaxmi goddess with her hands. In Han Puran also Mahalaxmi there is a mention of Karvir.
City was referred as Karvir after the installation of Mahalaxmi temple. Before that, there were many names like Kollapur, Kollpur, Kollagiri, Kolladigiripattan. Kolla means valley and Kolhapur means city of vallies. In short, Brahmapuri, Karvir and Kolhapur are different names for this place. After the establishment of Mahalakshmi temple, Kolhapur was recognized as a religious centre and gave rise to various cultural and financial developments.
The goddess of wealth and power, Devi Ambabai's temple is located at the heart of the city. this temple is famous for its well-known South-Indian Architecture, built by Chalukya king Karndev in 634 AD.[citation needed]
Kolhapur (Marathi: कोल्हापूर) is a city situated in the south west corner of Maharashtra, India. The population of Kolhapur is around 419,000. The main language is Marathi. It is situated on the banks of river Panchganga and provides the location for the Mahalakshmi Temple. The city also lends its name to many common terms like Kolhapuri Chappal , Kolhapuri lavangi mirchi, Kolhapuri gur and Kolhapuri cuisin
The history of Kolhapur can be tracked back to the Satavahan empire era. In the modern times, Kolhapur has played a significant role in the politics of Maharashtra state. The city is famous of Kolhapur chappal (traditional leather sandal). Kolhapur is also famous for it non-veg food recipes (Marathi: Kolhapuri pandhara rassa, tambadaa rassa) and unique spices.
Kolhapur is on the Pune - Miraj - Kolhapur section of the South-Central Railway. The railway station is named after Chatrapati Shahu Maharaja. It is well connected with all the important cities in India. Mahalakshmi and Sahyadri express connects Mumbai to Kolhapur and they run daily. Nijamuddin-Goa express connects to Delhi, while there is also a daily train to Hyderabad and Tirupati.
Kolhapur lies on National Highway 4 a.k.a NH4 which connects Mumbai to Bangalore. Mumbai to Kolhapur is a 8 hours drive by road. Pune to Kolhapur is around 3 hours journey by private car, while bus takes around 4 hours. The road is excellent and almost like Pune-Mumbai express highway.
MSRTC ( Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation) has buses running every hour from Mumbai to Kolhapur and vice versa. These are Non-A/C general transport buses and cost approximately 180-240 INR.
Private operators also operate buses on this route with A/C and Non-A/C option, the fare ranging from 200 to 350 INR.
Similar Options are available from Pune. The Private/State Buses and shared Taxis , all start from Swar-Gate in Pune which is a large bus/transport hub to the south of Pune.
From south side, there are direct buses (private and state-owned) from almost all places from Karnataka, including Bengalore, Belgaon, Mengalore, Hubali etc.
Air Deccan has a daily flight from Mumbai which cost around 3000 INR.
Overall, Kolhapur has become a crowded place recently. Huge number of two wheeler vehicles precides over the number of four wheelers ( private & commercial ). The central city being non-planned is very crowded during peak hours.
A visit to Mahalaxmi Temple can be followed by a trip to Panhala Fort. The Auto Rickshaw charges approx. Rs.450/- for Panhala Trip from Kolhapur to Panhala and back. The visit will take around 6 hrs and after coming back to Kolhapur city one can go to Rankala Lake in evening and visit Shalini Palace Hotel and Chowpatty there. One can enjoy snacks from vada pav to South Indian dishes at the Chowpatty.
Next day one can start the morning in Kolhapur with a visit to New Palace Museum. After seeing museum one can proceed to Jyotiba Temple.
One should also visit Bhavani Temple near Mahalaxmi Temple.
A full meal without drinks will cost around 80 to 200 INR. Hotels generally close by 11 PM, while some of them have Coffee shops that also serve rice variety round the clock.
Don't forget to eat the "paandhraa rassaa" & "taambdaa rassa" in non-veg. These are two special curries which are tradition of Kolhapur.
For party freaks Kolhapur has got some decent bars & restaurants like Scores (beside Hotel Victor Palace) & Texas (in Hotel Ayodhya), also Mithila is a family bar & restaurant in Hotel Ayodhya.
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