Kolhapur

When you visit Kolhapur, you step into the cultural hub of the Marathas, a prominent ruling class of medieval India. Today Kolhapur is a city where ancient tradition and modern influences exist side by side. The city is dotted with temples built by the Satavahna kings. You can also come across a museum, a palace and a lake in the city.

Mahalaxmi Temple
Goddess Mahalaxmi locally known as Amba Bai is the presiding deity of this temple. The sanctum of the temple has a 40 kg idol of the goddess. The idol exists in its natural form – a primeval monolith of precious stones which even includes uncut diamonds. Images of Kartikaswami, Kashi Vishweshwar, Sheshashayi, Mahaswaraswati, Siddhivinayak, Shree Dutta, Mahakali, and Shree Ram are also there inside the temple precincts. This wonderfully carved temple attracts huge devotees from in and around Kolhapur.

New Palace and Chhatrapati Sahu Museum
This is another well planned and exquisitely designed palace. The architecture is a combination of Hindu and Jain influences from Gujarat and Rajasthan, and the local Rajwada style. The first floor of the palace is the home of the present Maharaja. The ground floor which serves as the museum has an excellent collection of weapons, costumes, games, embroidery, jewelry, and other royal items such as silver elephant saddles. Memorabilia’s preserved here include a letter from the British Viceroy and Governor General of India. Shahaji Chhatrapati Museum in the New Palace showcases interesting collections from the possessions of Maharaja Shahaji Chhatrapati like trophies, guns, and clothes.

Town Hall Museum
When you visit this museum you get to see you get to see items found during the excavations at Brahmagiri. These include filigree work in sandalwood and ivory, old sculptures, old coins and paintings of master artists of the region.

Old Palace
The old palace located behind the Mahalaxmi Palace, has temple dedicated to goddess Bhawani. This beautiful structure has a wonderful marqee with filigree work in stone.

Rankala Lake
Rankala Lake is one of the oldest lakes in Maharashtra. The Rankabhairav temple at the center of the lake is a major attraction.

The palaces, temples and lakes of Kolhapur make it an interesting place to visit.