Kolhapur is a beautiful city, situated in the south west corner of Maharashtra, India. The population of Kolhapur is around 419,000. The main languages are Marathi, Hindi, and English. It is popular for its temple to Mahalaksmi. It is situated on the bank of river Panchganga. Many hills and forts like Panhala fort and Jothiba temple hill surround the city. The development of the city is possible because of maharaja Shahu. The city is also famous for training wrestlers. There is national stadium for a form of wrestling known as Khasbag. It is also famous for making leather foot wares, popularly known as Kolhapuri Chappal's and sugar products.

History

During the British Raj, Kolhapur was ruled by a Maharaja, who was the local ruler of an important princely state, under the political control of Bombay state. Kolhapur state, together with its jagirs or feudatories, covered an area of 3165 square miles (8,200 km²).

The Maharajas of Kolhapur trace their descent from Rajaram, a younger son of Sivaji, the founder of the Maratha empire. The British sent expeditions against Kolhapur in 1765 and 1792; and in the early years of the 19th century the British invaded again, and appointed a political officer to manage the state. After India's independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Kolhapur acceded to the new Indian Government, and Kolhapur became part of Bombay state. In 1960 Bombay state was divided into the linguistic states of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Culture

Places of interest in and around Kolhapur

1. Rankala Lake
2. Panhala Fort
3. Mahalakshmi Temple
4. Bhavani Mandap
5. Jyotiba Temple
6. Maharaja's Palace
7. Town hall museum
8. Dajipur
9. Gaganbawada. Excellent place for waterfalls and greenery.

Entertainment

1. Keshavrao Bhosale Natyagriha
2. Usha Movie Theatre
3. Prabhat Movie Theatre
4. Venus Movie Theatre
5. Ayodhya Movie Theatre
6. Royal Movie Theatre
7. Uma Movie Theatre
8. Parvati Multiplex
9. Shahu Smarak Natygruh
10.Sangam Movie Theatre
11.Shahu Movie Theatre
12.Padma Movie Theatre.
13.Apsara Movie Theatre
14.Basant Movie Theatre
15.Bahar Movie Theatre.

Shopping

• Shetkari Bazar (mall)
• Janata Bazar (Mall) (Outlets to all Areas)
• Lucky Bazar (Mall)
• Gems Shopping Mall.

Apart from these malls, the main shopping district of the city is located on Mahadwar Road near the Mahalaxmi Temple.

Transportation

Local transportation includes Auto-Rickshaws, KMT (Local Bus Service) The Kolhapur Train Station has daily train service to Mumbai via Pune

Climate

cool

Cuisine

Excellent taste of Food

1) Kolhapuri chicken/mutton- renowned for its extreme spice! 2) Kolhapur Misal(world famous) 3) Rajabhau Bhel. 4) Panipuri, shevpuri 5) Rajasthani papads. 6) Icecreams 7) Chat and related food 8) PavBhaji

Educational institutes

1. Shivaji University
2. Kolhapur Institute of Technology [KIT]
3. D.Y. Patil College of Engineering & Technology(DYPCET)
4. Tatyasaheb Kore Institute of Engineering and Technology, Warnanagar
5. D.K.T.E. Society's textile and Engineering Institute, Ichalkaranji
6. Bharti vidyapeeth's college of engineering,Kolhapur
7. CPR Government Medical college
8. D.Y.Patil medical college

and lot junior colleges and schools.

Industries in Kolhapur

The city has become industrialised, due to the proximity of bauxite deposits. There are two main industrial areas, Gokulshirgaon and Shiroli. These mainly produce such products as aluminium castings, alloys, and bearings.

Inside the city the Shivaji Udyamnagar area is famous for electrical and other bodybuilding and workshop related jobs. The Shahu textile mill is also located there.r>

Well known personalities from Kolhapur

Shahu Maharaj
Ranjeet Desai
Suryakant Mandare
Chandrakant Mandare
Bhalji Pendharkar
V. Shantaram
Shirish Bandarkar

Other useful information

STD Code: (231)

External links

• Pudhari Newspaper (http://www.pudhari.com/)
• Shivaji University (http://www.unishivaji.ac.in/)
• Online Mall in Kolhapur (http://www.kolhapurmall.com/)
• Kolhapur Municipal Corporation Website (http://kolhapurcorporation.org/)
• Mahalaskhmi Temple (http://www.shreekarveernivasini.com/)
• Kolhapur gnu/linux user group (http://www.freewebs.com/kolhapurglug/index.htm)