Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Kolhapur is one of the most significant cities in South Maharashtra and has been a hub of historical, religious, and cultural activities for centuries. It is famous for its unique food culture, including its signature Kolhapuri cuisine. The city is situated in the western part of Maharashtra and is often referred to as "Dakshin Kashi" or "Mahateerth". It boasts a rich history, which has given it various other names, including Kollagiri, Kolladigiripattan and Kollpur, all meaning "valley" Around 2 CE Kolhapur's name was 'Kuntal'.
Kolhapur is known as 'Dakshin Kashi' or Kashi of the South because of its spiritual history and the antiquity of its shrine Mahalaxmi, better known as Ambabai.
Before India became independent in 1947, Kolhapur was a princely state under the Bhosale Chhatrapati of the Maratha Confederacy. It is an important centre for the Marathi cinema industry.
Etymology
Kolhapur is named after Kolhasur, a demon in Hindu History.
According to legend, the demon Kolhasur renounced asceticism after his sons were killed by the gods for harassing people. He prayed to
Lakshmi, requesting that she leave the area to him for a hundred years. He committed numerous crimes during this period until the goddess returned after the hundred years were over and killed him for his sins.
Kolhasur's dying wish was to name the place after him, a request granted, and the area was named Kolhapur. 'Kolha' represents Kolhasur, and 'pur,' a
Sanskrit word, means 'city.'
Stone inscriptions from the Shilahara kingdom, which ruled this region from 8–12 C.A.D., mention this area as 'kshullakpur' (the first stage of Jain monkhood) and 'Kalapuri,' a city with beautifully carved temples. This historical information is preserved in Shilahar-era ancient Jain matha and temples near the Ambabai temple.
History
Medieval era
The
Shilahara family founded a dynasty at Kolhapur about the time of the downfall of the Rashtrakuta Empire, that ruled over southern
Maharashtra including the modern districts of
Satara district, Kolhapur and
Belgaum. Their family deity was the goddess
Ambabai, whose blessing they claimed to have secured in their copperplate grants (
Mahalakshmi-labdha-vara-prasada). Like their relatives of the northern branch of
Konkan, the Shilaharas of Kolhapur claimed to be of the lineage of Vidyadhara Jimutavahana, a
Jain scholar. Their banner featured a golden
Garuda. One of the many titles used by the Shilaharas was
Tagarapuravaradhisvara, supreme sovereign ruler of Tagara.
The first capital of the Shilaharas was probably at Karad during the reign of Jatiga II, as known from their copper plate grant of Miraj and 'Vikramankadevacharita' of Bilhana. Hence, they are referred to sometimes as the 'Shilaharas of Karad'.
From 940 to 1212 CE, Kolhapur was the centre of power of the Shilahara dynasty.[Bhavan B. V. "Temples and legends of Maharashtra." 1962 volume 97.] An inscription at Terdal states that the king Gonka (1020 – 1050 CE) was bitten by a snake then healed by a Jainism monk. Gonka then built a temple to Lord Neminath, the twenty-second Jain tirthankara (enlightened being). From this era, Jain temples in and around Kolhapur are called Gonka-Jinalaya.
Around 1055 CE, during the reign of Bhoja I (Shilahara dynasty), a dynamic Acharya (spiritual guide) named Maghanandi (Kolapuriya) founded a religious institute at the Rupanarayana Jain temple (basadi). Maghanandi is also known as Siddhanta-Chakravarti, meaning the great master of the scriptures. Kings and nobles of the Shilahara dynasty such as Gandaraditya I, who succeeded Bhoja I, were disciples of Maghanandi.
Kolhapur was the site of intense confrontation between the Western Chalukya Empire and Rajadhiraja Chola and his younger brother Rajendra Chola II of the Chola empire. In 1052 CE, following the Battle of Koppam, the victor, Rajendra Chola II, marched on to Kolhapur and erected a jayastambha (victory pillar).[
Sastri K. A. N. "The CōĻas." 1935 p. 256–257 (University of Madras, 2000).]
Between 1109 and 1178 CE, the Kopeshwar temple to Lord Shiva was built by Shilahara kings, Gandaraditya I, Vijayaditya, and Bhoja II in Khidrapur, Kolhapur.
Kolhapur State
The
Kolhapur State was established by
Tarabai in 1707 in the midst of a succession dispute over the Maratha crown. The Maratha throne was then occupied by descendants of Tarabai. One of the prominent Kings was Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj. In his reign, he promoted free education to people of all castes, religions and fought against untouchability. The state was annexed by the British in the 19th century. 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. Kolhapur is sometimes found spelled as
Colapore.
Often, Kolhapur is also referred as
Dakshin Kashi or the
Varanasi of the South, due to its rich religious history.
Scriptural references
Kolhapur is mentioned in the
Devi Gita, the final chapter of the
Devi-Bhagavata Purana, a text of
Shaktism. Kolhapur is noted as a place of
Kollamma worship. In the text,
Devi says,
- "O King of Mountains! Still I am now telling something out of My affection to My . Hear. There is a great place of pilgrimage named Kollapura in the southern country. Here the Ambabai always dwells."
[Chatterji H. P. "Devi Gita, the vow and the sacred places of the Devi." The Devi Gita (Song of the Goddess), excerpt from Srimad Devi Bhagawatam, translated by the Vijnanananda (Hari Prasanna Chatterji), 1921, chapter 38 verse 3 – 10. "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 Ambabai always dwells. The second place is Mahur, Maharashtra|Matripura in the Sahyadri mountain; here the Devi Renuka dwells."]
Geography
Kolhapur is an inland city located in south-west
Maharashtra state, south of
Mumbai and south of
Pune, north-west of
Bengaluru, west of
Hyderabad and west of
Sangli city. Within Maharashtra, Kolhapur's nearest cities and towns are
Ichalkaranji ,
Jaysingpur ,
Kodoli ,
Peth Vadgaon Kagal , Kasaba Walva , Satara . It lies in the Sahayadri mountains in the
Western Ghats at an elevation of .
[ "Kolhapur" Google Maps.] Tambraparni river dam near Umgaon village is close by, as also are
Radhanagari and Kalambawadi dams.
Panhala and
Jyotiba Temple are in the vicinity of Kolhapur too.
Climate
Kolhapur's climate is a blend of coastal and inland elements common to Maharashtra. The temperature ranges between . Summer in Kolhapur is comparatively cooler, but much more humid, than neighbouring inland cities. Maximum temperatures rarely exceed and typically range between . Lows during this season are around .
The city receives abundant rainfall from June to September, attributed to its proximity to the Western Ghats. These heavy rains often result in severe flooding during these months. Years such as 2005, 2006, 2019, and 2021 experienced significant floods. Temperatures are lower in the rainy season, ranging between .
Kolhapur experiences winter from November to February. Unlike other cities in Maharashtra, such as Pune and Nashik, its winter temperatures are relatively warmer. Lows range from , while highs are in the range of , owing to its high elevation and proximity to the Western Ghats. The low humidity during this season contributes to pleasant weather.
Kolhapur has been ranked 28th best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 2 3-10L Population cities) in India.
Hydrology
The
Panchganga River originates in the Western Ghats. It has five tributaries which supply the city and surroundings – the Bhogavati, Tulsi, Kumbhi, Kasari and Dhamani rivers. Kolhapur has a number of lakes. The
Rankala Lake was once a stone quarry.
The Kalamba lake was built in 1873. These two lakes provide the city with domestic potable water.
Governance
Kolhapur is governed by the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC). The city is divided into five wards, named with the letters A to E. The corporation provides services such as
sewage treatment and free cremation for residents and has made a number of improvements, for example, the Kolhapur Road Project,
[ "Kolhapur Road Project." Government of India website. Retrieved 12 September 2017.] the Anti-Encroachment Drive to stop illegal building activity encroaching on the city's open spaces, and the
Suvarna Jayanti Nagarotthan Project to improve roads and storm water management.
[ "Kolhapur Nagarothan Abhiya." Kolhapur Municipal Corporation website. Retrieved 12 September 2017.] The KMC faces problems like the civic limits of Kolhapur city which have not expanded since 1972, due to which the city cannot benefit from various government schemes.
The Kolhapur Municipal and Regional Development Authority was established on 16 August 2017. This authority to manage Kolhapur city and 42 villages around it was formed for the balanced development of Kolhapur city and the neighbouring villages.
Demographics
As per the 2011 census of India, the population of Kolhapur city is 549,236 and that in 'Kolhapur Municipal and Regional Development Authority' is 561,837.
Kolhapur has one of the highest Human Development Index ratings among Indian districts, at 0.770 in 2011.
The most common religion in Kolhapur is Hinduism.
Economy
Kolhapur has a higher per capita domestic product than the state's average. It has auto-ancillary, foundry and casting industrial establishments which act as supporting units for industries in
Sangli, Satara,
Pune and
Bangalore.
Kolhapur is also an industrial city with approximately 300 foundry generating exports with a value of 15 billion per year.[ "MIDC to acquire 1,000 acres for Kagal park." Business Standard, 20 December 2006.] A manufacturing plant of Kirloskar group kirloskar Oil Engines Limited KOEL is set up in the MIDC at Kagal near Kolhapur, as is the Raymond clothes plant. Kolhapur has two more industrial areas, Gokul-Shirgaon MIDC and Shiroli MIDC. Shivaji Udyamnagar is an industrial area in the city with a rich entrepreneurial tradition of more than 100 years and specializing in oil engines.
The city is the home of Kolhapuri chappal, a handcrafted buffalo leather slipper that is locally tanned using vegetable dyes. Kolhapuri slippers are sold on Mahadwar road.[ "Kolhapuri chappals come easy on the pocket now." IBN Live website 17 July 2007. Accessed 21 October 2013.][ "Maharashtra development report." Government of India Planning Commission report. Academic Foundation, 2007 , Accessed 8 April 2014.]
Kolhapuri jewellery includes a type of necklace called Kolhapuri saaj, patlya (two broad bangles), chinchpeti (choker), tanmani (short necklace), nath (nose ring), and bajuband (an amulet).
Considering the economic activity, Kolhapur has a large Income Tax office, which collects substantial revenue for the Government of India.
Tourism
The Bombay Gazetteer recorded almost 250 temples in the region of which 6 – Ambabai, Temblai, Vithoba, Mahakali, Phiranga and Yallamma temples – are considered the most prominent.
Tourism is an important source of revenue with about three million annual visitors.
[ "Kolhapur Municipal Corporation draft." Urban India government website, PDF document p10.] Kolhapur's attractions include:
The Kolhapur Maybach car of the
of Kolhapur is displayed to the public during the annual
Dusshera procession.
Film industry
On 1 December 1917, the Maharashtra Film Company was established in Kolhapur by
Baburao Painter. The city has become the primary centre for the Marathi film industry. Kolhapur plays host to many film festivals, including the Kolhapur International Film Festival. The Kolhapur film city was renovated in 2017.
Cuisine
Kolhapur cuisine includes mutton dishes, Kolhapuri
misal, and ethnic meat dishes
[Products: India and Pakistan. In: Carrick Devine & Michael Dikeman, editors-in-chief. Encyclopedia of Meat Sciences 2e, Vol. 1, Oxford: Elsevier; pp. 538–542.
, p183. Accessed at Google Books 7 April 2014.]
The city also lends its name to certain types of food and ingredients, such as Kolhapuri lavangi (
), Kolhapuri
jaggery (cane juice concentrate), Kolhapuri
Spice mix (spice mixture) and Kolhapuri
chutney (onion garlic chutney) which is a staple in gravies and curries.
Kolhapur cuisine also includes soup-like curries called Pandhara Rassa and Tambda Rassa which are served as a part of a Thali. Pandhara Rassa, which can be loosely translated as white curry, is a soup-like dish made from mutton stock and coconut milk infused with spices like cinnamon, coriander, ginger, and garlic. It is served as an appetizer, and also as a part of the main course. Tambda Rassa, red curry, is a spicier form of the dish made by substituting coconut milk with red chillies.[Devine C. and Dikeman M. "Encyclopaedia of meat sciences." Elsevier, 2014. second edition in three volumes. p540. .]
Media and telecommunication
Kolhapur's main newspaper is the
Pudhari.
[ "Pudhari." E papers land.com. Retrieved 12 September 2017.] Other Marathi language newspapers include
Sakal,
Loksatta,
Lokmat,
Kesari,
Saamna,
Tarun Bharat, and
Punyanagari.
The English language dailies include The Times of India (Kolhapur edition), The Indian Express, Business Standard and The Economic Times.
Kolhapur's FM radio services include Tomato FM (94.3 MHz), Radio Mirchi (98.3 MHz), Radio City (95 MHz), Big FM(92.7 MHz) and All India Radio FM (102.7 MHz).
Sports
Wrestling (known as
Pehlwani in Hindi/Marathi), football and
kabaddi are the sports most played in the city.
[ "Hanuman's Army: Kushti Wrestlers." Reportage at Getty Images website. 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2017.]
Chhatrapati Shahu Stadium is known as wrestling capital of India. Kolhapur has a long history of kushti (wrestling) and has produced many wrestlers. The sport flourished during the reign of Shahu of Kolhapur (1894–1922). During this golden age, he built or Taleems (as they are colloquially called) all over Kolhapur and organized wrestling tournaments, inviting wrestlers from across the Indian sub-continent. Since then, Kolhapur's wrestling culture has been dominated by various Taleems like Gangavesh taleem, Shahupuri taleem, Motibag taleem, etc. More than 70 wrestlers undertake training in each of these.
India's first individual Olympian Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, India's first Hind Kesari Shripati Khanchnale and Rustam-e-Hind Dadu Chougule belonged to Kolhapur.
Chhatrapati Shahu Stadium is a football stadium in Kolhapur. Khasbag Wrestling Stadium, India's largest wrestling stadium is situated in Kolhapur.
B.B. Nimbalkar (former Ranji cricketer), Suhas Khamkar (Mr. Asia, Winner), Virdhawal Khade (Indian Olympian in swimming), Tejaswini Sawant (Arjuna awardee, world championship gold medalist shooter), Rahi Sarnobat (Arjuna awardee, Asian Gold medalist in shooting), Rucha Pujari (chess – FIDE titles), Shahu Mane also belong to the city. Aniket Jadhav who played the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 is from Kolhapur.
Transport
Railway
The Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus links Kolhapur via rail to India's major cities with express services to
miraj,
Sangli,
Pune, Mumbai,
Bangalore and New Delhi. A daily shuttle service connects Kolhapur with the main rail hub of
Miraj on the Central Railway main line. A daily DEMU local train also runs from Kolhapur to Sangli railway station.
A new railway route from Miraj via Kolhapur until Vaibhavwadi has been confirmed, which will connect Kolhapur and many other towns with to the Western coastal region of India.
Road
Kolhapur is located on National Highway 4 and National Highway 204. Kolhapur is 55 km from
Sangli City and 200 km from Pune. The city has three state transport bus stands: Central Bus Stand (CBS), Rankala Bus Stand and Sambhajinagar Bus Stand. Kolhapur Municipal Transport (KMT) provides local bus services. The CBS of Kolhapur is the busiest bus stand in western Maharashtra with more than 50,000 commutators a day.
Airport
Kolhapur's domestic airport, also known as Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj Airport, is located south east of the city at Ujalaiwadi.
IndiGo operates daily flights to Hyderabad Airport and Tirupati Airport as well as three times a week to Ahmedabad. Star Air operates flights three times in a week to Mumbai Airport. Expansion of runway and construction of airport terminal building is in progress.
The nearest international airports to Kolhapur are Pune International Airport () and Goa International Airport ().
Education
Kolhapur has educational institutions for engineering, medicine, management studies, pharmaceutical sciences and agriculture. Shivaji University is located in Kolhapur city. There are international schools and a pre-IAS training centre. The pre-IAS training centre is in Rajaram college campus. The admissions to pre-IAS centre are allotted by merit through an entrance exam. The city attracts students form all over India and Africa.
Languages
The
Marathi language is the main language spoken in Kolhapur.
Kolhapur Jaggery
The
Kolhapur jaggery is a variety of
jaggery made from fresh
sugarcane juice in Kolhapur. It is manufactured from sugarcane which is a common and widely cultivated crop in Kolhapur.
The waters of the streams forming the
Panchganga River are primarily used for sugarcane cultivation in Kolhapur.
Name
Kolhapur jaggery made from
sugarcane is a prized crop in Kolhapur and so named after it.
It is known as 'Kolhapuri Gul (कोल्हापुरी गूळ)' - Gul means jaggery in the local state language of
Marathi language.
Geographical indication
It was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) status tag from the Geographical Indications Registry under the Union Government of India on 31/03/2014 (valid until 30/7/2031).
Kolhapur Agricultural Produce Market (Kolhapur Sheti Utpanna Bazar Samiti) from Kolhapur, proposed the GI registration of Kolhapur jaggery. After filing the application in January 2012, the jaggery was granted the GI tag in 2021 by the Geographical Indication Registry in Chennai, making the name "Kolhapur jaggery" exclusive to the Jaggery manufactured in the region. It thus became the first jaggery variety from Maharashtra and the ninth type of goods from Maharashtra to earn the GI tag.
Notable people
-
Ramchandra Pant Amatya – one of the of Shivaji
-
Bhanu Athaiya – Indian costume designer and painter
-
Madhavrao Bagal – writer, artist, journalist, social reformer, political activist, orator and a freedom fighter
-
Sanjivani Bhelande – playback singer born in Kolhapur
-
Sangram Chougule – body builder, Mr Universe winner (2012), Mr India (6-time winner), Mr Maharashtra (5-time winner)
-
Ramesh Deo – Indian film and television actor
-
Ranjit Desai – Marathi writer
-
Suniti Ashok Deshpande – Indian educator, writer, translator and interpreter
-
Vasantrao Ghatge – Indian entrepreneur, business magnate, industrialist and a professor
-
Santaji Ghorpade – Maratha warrior and Sarsenapati
-
Ashutosh Gowariker – Indian film director, actor, screenwriter and producer
-
K. D. Jadhav – (1926–1984) was an Indian freestyle wrestler and Olympic bronze medallist
-
Suhas Khamkar – body builder
-
Jagdish Khebudkar – Marathi littérateur and lyricist of Marathi cinema
-
Padmini Kolhapure – film actress
-
Dhondutai Kulkarni – Indian classical singer from the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana
-
Swapnil Kusale – (b 1995) Shooting sports and Olympic bronze medallist
-
Dhananjay Mahadik – Indian politician and former Member of Parliament
-
Sadashivrao Dadoba Mandlik – former Member of Parliament and NCP leader
-
Sanjay Mandlik – Member of Parliament and Shiv Sena Leader
-
Anant Mane – film director
-
Leena Nair – CEO of Chanel
-
Nanda – film actress
-
Jayant Narlikar – Indian astrophysicist
-
B. B. Nimbalkar – Indian cricketer, best known for his score of 443 not out during the 1948–49 Ranji Trophy
-
Chandrakant Patil – Indian politician and Maharashtra BJP president
-
D. Y. Patil – Indian politician and educator
-
Satej Patil – politician and Minister of State for home in the Maharashtra Government
-
Bhalji Pendharkar – director
-
Sudhir Phadke – singer and composer
-
Shruti Sadolikar – Indian classical singer of the khyal style in the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana
-
Arun Sarnaik – actor and singer
-
Shivaji Sawant – Indian novelist
-
Shahu of Kolhapur – Maharaja and a social reformer
-
V. Shantaram – Indian filmmaker, film producer and actor
-
Tarabai – Maratha queen and warrior
-
Govindrao Tembe – music composer
-
S. P. P. Thorat – Lieutenant general in the Indian Army
-
Master Vinayak – Indian actor and film director
-
Suresh Wadkar – playback singer
See also
Further reading
"The Imperial Gazetteer of India." Oxford at Clarendon Press, 1909 Volume 15. p380 – 387. Accessed at Digital South Asia Library at University of Chicago, Illinois, 7 April 2014.
External links
