AAMACHE KOLHAPUR,MARATHI KOLHAPUR



Culture
Kolhapur is a very ancient city, famous for its food, headwear, footwear, jewellery, wrestling and religious connections. 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...." [1].
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.
Majority of the city dwellers are Marathas along with relatively smaller communities of Gujaratis, Marwadis, Maharashtrian Jains, Lingayats and Sindhis. 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. 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. New and modern stores 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. 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. Nationalist Congress Party along with Congress are the current political powerhouses in the region.

Business


Kolhapur is home to many successful businesses and industries. Some of the industrial units located in Kolhapur export to various countries around the world. Ratnakar Enterprises is a successful and reputed industrial unit manufacturing Material Testing Machine based in Kolahapur.



Map of Kolhapur district
The Maharajas of Kolhapur have a common ancestry with the Bhonsle dynasties of Tanjore and Satara, claiming descent from the Maratha royal clan Bhonslà. The states of Satara and Kolhapur came into being in 1707, because of the succession dispute over the Maratha kingship. Shahu Sambhaji, Heir Apparent to the Maratha kingdom, captured by the Mughals at the age of nine, remained their prisoner at the death of his father Sambhaji, the elder son of Shivaji Maharaj the founder of the Maratha Empire in 1700. The Dowager Maharani Tara Bai proclaimed his cousin Rajaram, as Chhatrapati Maharaj under her regency. The Mughals released Shahu under certain conditions in 1707, and he returned to claim his inheritance. He defeated the regent at the Battle of Khed and established himself at Satara, forcing her to retire with her son to Kolhapur. By 1710 two separate principalities had become an established fact, eventually confirmed by the Treaty of Warna in 1731.

The new palace, Kolhapur
The British sent expeditions against Kolhapur in 1765 and 1792; Kolhapur entered into treaty relations with the British, after the collapse of the Maratha confederacy in 1812. In the early years of the 19th century the British invaded again, and appointed a political officer to temporarily manage the state.
The last ruler of Kolhapur was HH Maharaja Chhatrapati Shahaji II Puar. After India's independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Kolhapur acceded to the Dominion of India on 14 August 1947 and merged with Bombay state on 1 March 1949. In 1960 Bombay state was divided into the linguistic states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. The boundaries of former Kolhapur state correspond very closely with those of modern-day Kolhapur district.

Kolhapur Municipal Corporation

Kolhapur municipality was established on 12 October 1854. Establishment of municipality initiated planning of modern Kolhapur city. Efforts were done with elaborate planning to develop stable and comfortable citylife. The radient indication of modern enhancement of city growth, happiness, health & beauty started reflecting in varous fields.
The period from 1941 to 1944 was the golden period in the history of municipality. There were major changes in varous fields. In the three year election of March 1941 local self government was established. A control board of three persons i.e. Bhai. Madhavrao Bagal, Seth Govindrao Korgaonkar, Shri Ratnappa Kumbhar was appointed in it. Motto of this board "To reserve the society without any discrimination. There is no linking of this board to any political organization. Whatever rights are confessed by government to citizens should be utilized fully is prime duty of the board." is declared in the board's manifesto.


Progress of Corporation


The period from 1954 to 71 was the period of speedy growth of Kolhapur city. It is seen that the municipality moved towards corporation status during this period. It is seen from records that in 1960, there were 44 members in municipality. Out of them 37 were from general category, 3 from reserved backward category and 4 from women reserved category. The municipal working was based on administrative triangle of general body meeting, chief officer and standing committee. Engineers, health officers, account officers, supervisors, octroi and tax officers used to help Chief officer. In 1956- c57, the annual income of municipality was Rs. 33,21,213 through taxes and other means, and the expenditure was Rs. 29,29,161. This indicates the growing business of municipality. During this period network of roads was constructed in the city. New bridges were constructed as per requirement. Water supply was made more effective. New markets, gardens were constructed to make the city more beautiful.
Effective growth in industrialization in Kolhapur resulted in starting a new industrial era, due to devoted efforts of Y. P. Pawar, Mhadba Mistri, Tatya Shinde, and Late. Rambhai Samani. The large area of Udyam nagari was busy in preparing machinery and spare parts. The products from Kolhapur Industrial Estate started getting exported to number of Asian and African companies. Municipality helped the growth of industry in many ways.
During this period only Shivaji University was established at the hands of Dr. Radhakrishnan in 1962. Thus municipality helped in restructuring industry and education. In December 1972 the municipal council was dissolved.





Transportation
Local transportation includes auto rickshaws and buses run by KMT (Kolhapur Municipal Transport).

Train



Kolhapur Railway Station is named Chatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus (Station code: KOP). It was moved from the South Central to Central Railways in 2003[4]. It has daily trains to Mumbai, Pune, Tirupati, Bangalore, Nagpur and Hyderabad. It also runs an inter-city shuttle service between Kolhapur and Miraj. The weekly Nizammuddin Express is a direct train to Delhi. Interestingly, this station does not appear on the website of Indian Railways. It is misnamed as "C Shahumharaj T", which is very difficult to find. Because station is named after Shahu Maharaj it is entered so in Railway website.

Bus

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 and Tamilnadu. The private companies generally serve the more popular routes, to and from big cities, like Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Panjim, Nashik, Belgaon, Solapur, Hyderabad, Ratnagiri, Shirdi and Tirupati.

Airways



The city has an airport near Ujlaiwadi, 13 km from the city center connecting Kolhapur to Mumbai. Air Deccan offers daily flights from Mumbai which take about an hour to reach Kolhapur. More number of flights are proposed for developmental purposes.

Geography

Kolhapur is located at 16°42′N 74°13′E / 16.7°N 74.22°E / 16.7; 74.22.[5] It has an average elevation of 545 metres (1788 ft).


Demographics


As of 2001 India census,Kolhapur had a population of 485,183. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Kolhapur has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 75%. In Kolhapur, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.


Climate


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 relatively 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 2006 there was excessive rainfall in Kolhapur resulting in floods.



Karveer Nivasini Ambabai Also Known As Mahalaxmi.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. Rashtrakoot 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 KarvirnivasiniMahalaxmi 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 Mahalaxmi temple, Kolhapur was recognized as a religious center 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.

Shalini Palace


The Shalini Palace was built in 1931-34 at a cost of Rs. Eight lakhs was named after Princes Shrimant Shalini Raje of Kolhapur. The Palace stands on the west bank of the picturesque Rankala Lake (Circumferenc-2.5 miles) & is surrounded by towering palm trees, lush greenery & lovely gardens. The Palace is built of intricately carved black stone and Italian marble Rich decorative wooden doorways fitted with etched Belgium glass bearing the crest of the Maharaja of Kolhapur, add to the regal grandeur. The majestic black stone arches forming the verandah and the porch are breathtakingly beautiful. The stained glass arches & the huge tower clock are restored to their original beauty. On a moonlit night watching the reflection of the Palace in the placid water of Rankala from the Sandhyamath point is an enchanting experience. Currently it is converted into a 3 Star Hotel.


Tehsils

Kagal
This is the birthplace of Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj of kolhapur. MLA & honourable state minister mr Hasan Mushrif elected from Kagal. It has three main river called as "Dudhganga" , "Vedganga" and "Chikotra" . There are three sugar factories 1. Shri Chatrapati Shahu Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana, who's chairperson is mr. Vikramsigh Ghatage, Maternal successor of Rajarshi Shahu maharaj of kolhapur dynasty 2. Sadashivrao Mandlik(Hamidwada) Whos founder chairperson is Mr.Sadashivrao Mandlik , 3. Dudhganga-karkhana - Bidri. 4. MP of Kolhapur Mr.Sadashivrao Mandlik is from this taluka - Murgud. 4. There is wonderful temple of Shri Sai Baba. Kagal surely is 'Dakshin Shirdi' due to this temple. 5. Well known personilities from Kagal Taluka : Santaji Ghorapade - Kapashi, Chatrapati Shahu Maharaj - Kagal , Hutatma Tukaram Bharmal - Murgud Author Anand Yadav - Kagal ,Author Ramesh Mantri - Malage Kh, Spiritual personility Dr. Shrikrishna Deshmukh - Murgud , Wrestler Ram Sarang - Murgud

Karveer
'This is central tehsil and Kolhapur, the district headquarters, falls in this tehsil.Kolhapur city is situated in this tehsil. Jaggery is known as Kolhapur's Molten Gold

Panhala
Tehsil is in the central part of the Kolhapur District. Panhala tahshil is famous for its forts, and heritage. Kodoli is the largest and major industrial city in this tehsil. Panhala is famous Hill station/tourist destination in the District.

Bhudargad
Bhudargad is one of the tahsil in kolhapur district. Gargoti is new developed town in this tahsil, 5o km from kolhapur city. In Gargoti there is college of engineering diploma- ICRE, Gargoti. It is under Mauni Vidyapith, Gargoti. Also Shree Shahu Kumar Bhavan Highschool, and K.H. College of science, comerce, arts are under this educational socity. Gargoti is sead to be educational center. In Bhudargad tahsil the main river is Vedaganga, which sarts at Tambyachiwadi. There is Patgaon dam on river Vedganga.

Gadhinglaj
This is the southern tehsil in the district and touches Karnataka state border. after each 30 min there is bus from Kolhapur. Which will go from Nippani(Karnataka) city.gadhinglaj is nearly 100 km away from kolhapur.gadhingaj having two homiopethic collage & one ayurvedic colage



Shirol
This Tehsil is on the eastern side. It touches Sangli district on east and north, Karnataka state on south and Hatkanangle tehsil on east. Jaysingpur and Kurundwad are two major towns in the tehsil. Narsobawadi (Nrisinhawadi) is a very famous religious place which also is part of this tehsil and Khidrapur is famous for ancient temple.

Hatkalangale
This is adjuscent tehsil. Pethvadgaon and Ichalkaranji are major town in this tehsil. Ichalkaranji is famous for its mills, its many times referred as Manchester of Maharashtra.

Ajara
It is situated on the banks of Hiranyakeshi and Chitra rivers. Famous Ramtirth waterfall and hill station Amboli are near from this place. It's on the Kolhapur - Amboli road. Birthplace of late Shree Shivajirao Sawant, who is famous for novels like Mrutyunjay, Yugandhar, Chhava. Ajara is also famous for heavy rain and for production of GHANSAL rice (variety of rice). This place is surrounded by tropical forests of sahyadri.

Chandgad
This is the southern tehsil in the district & touches Karnataka, Goa & kokan. It is situated on the Tamraprani river. One of the beautiful & biggest rainfall city of Kolhapur.this is the birth place of ranjit desai who is famous for novels like shrimaan yogi.