India Travel
Kolhapur and Panhala fort in Southern Maharashtra
KOLHAPUR, on the banks of the River Panchaganga 225km south of Pune, is thought to have been an important centre of the Tantric cult associated with Shakti worship since ancient times. The town probably grew up around the sacred site of the present-day Mahalakshmi temple, still important in the life of the city, although there are said to be up to 250 other temples in the area. With a population of more than 500,000, Kolhapur has become a major industrial centre, but the city has retained enough Maharashtran character to make it worthy of a stopover.
Between the tenth and thirteenth centuries the city was ruled by theYadavas; later it came under the Moghuls, and in 1675 it was conquered by the Maratha chief Shivaji. His descendants, the Chhatrapatis, ruled until Independence, having shifted their provincial capital here from Panhala (18km northwest) in 1708. In the late nineteenth century, Kolhapur played an important role in the development of the so-called Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. The architect Major Charles Mant, under the auspices of the maharaja, blended Western styles with Islamic, Jain and Hindu ones, resulting in buildings that profoundly affected the evolution of colonial architecture. Mant’s work, which can be seen all over the city, includes the High School and Town Hall; the General Library; the Albert Edward Hospital; and the New Palace, now a museum. Despite this prolific output, Mant lived in constant (unfounded) terror that his buildings would collapse; he commited suicide at the age of 42 in 1881.
The Mahalakshmi temple, whose cream-painted sanctuary towers soar above the town, is thought to have been founded in the seventh century by the Chalukyan king Karnadeva, following damage inflicted by the Moghuls.
However, what you see today probably dates from the early eighteenth century. It is built from bluish-black basalt on the plan of a cross, with the image of the goddess Mahalakshmi beneath the eastern and largest of five domed towers. The mandapa hallways leading to the main shrine hold figures of Garuda.Vishnu’s bird vahara (celestial vehicle), and Ganapati, which devotees circumambulate prior to approaching the goddess, flanked by the goddesses Mahakali and Saraswati. Four-armed Mahalakshmi. in black stone, holds a mace and shield, fruit and a cup. Her head is crowned with a cobra whose hood stands over a shivalingam.
Presiding over the square just up the road from the Mahalakshmi temple, the Rajwada, or Old Palace, is still occupied by members of the Chhatrapati family. Visitors can see the entrance hall (daily 10am-6pm) by passing under a pillared porch which extends out into the town square.
Kolhapur is famous as a centre for traditional wrestling, or kusti. On leaving the palace gates, turn right and head through the low doorway in front of you, from where a path picks its way past a couple of derelict buildings to the sunken tmtibaug, or wrestling ground. Come here between 5.30am and 5.30pm. and you can watch the wrestlers training, mainly dressed in tiny thongs and caked in red dirt. The main season is between June and September, the coolest time of year, but you may see them active at other times. Hindus and Muslims train together, and it’s fine to take photographs.
The maharaja’s New Palace (Tues-Sun 9.30am—1pm & 2.30-6pm; Rs10), 2km north of the centre, was built in 1884, following a fire at the Rajwada. Designed by Major Mant, its style fuses Jain and Hindu influences from Gujarat and Rajasthan, and local touches from the Rajwada, while remaining indomitably Victorian, with a prominent clock tower. The present maharaja lives on the first floor, while the ground floor holds an absorbing collection of costumes, weapons, games, jewellery, embroidery and paraphernalia such as silver elephant saddles.
Related Properties from Gurgaon
Panhala fort in Southern Maharashtra
Regular buses (30min) run between Kolhapur and Panhala fort, 18km northwest. Although it has legendary connections with the god Parashurama (Rama with the axe), the fort was probably founded by King Raja Bhoja in the late twelfth century. It covers a vast area, with massive perimeter walls over 7km in length and a steep slope beneath. Nevertheless, Panhala could not reasonably be described as impregnable. Over the years it has fallen to the Devagin Yadavas, various Maratha chieftains, and, in 1489. the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur, who erected the ramparts that still stand. Shivaji took Panhala in 1659, only
Kolhapur and Panhala fort Practicalities in Southern Maharashtra
Two direct express trains leave Mumbai CST for Kolhapur via Pune (9hr) each evening: the Mahalaxmi Express #1011 (8.25pm; 12hr 15min) and the Sahyadn Express #7303 (5.45pm; 11 hr 20min). Heading in the other direction, the Mahalaxmi Express, bound for Pune and Mumbai leaves Kolhapur at 7.15pm. The railway station is 500m from the bus stand on Station Road, near the centre of town. A five-minute walk from here (turn right) brings you to the MTDC tourist office, in the Kedar Complex on Station Road (Mon-S.it; 8.30am—6.30pm; 0231/692935), where you can sign up for a whistle-stop guided tour of Kolhapur
Southern Maharashtra
Most tourists heading south from Mumbai skip southern Maharashtra, but if you have a little time you can break up the journey and ease the burden of covering vast distances. Pune retains its Maratha character, in the old quarter at least, and also boasts a unique museum; some may also be attracted by its much-dended Osho Commune. Hill stations such as Matheran provide coolness, wooded walks and fine views, while the Konkan coast has little-visited beaches and forts that make a pleasant journey down to Goa. From Lonavala, you can get to see the earliest Buddhist rock-cut art in the
Sinhagad in Southern Maharashtra
The windswept, ruined fort of SINHAGAD (formerly Kandana), 26km southwest of Pune at the top of an almost perpendicular cliffin the Bhuleshwar mountains, can easily be visited in a day-trip from Pune by catching a #49 bus (hourly 6.30am-9.30pm; Ihr) from the Swargate bus stand.This involves a stiff two-hour climb from the foot of die hill, but with your own transport you can drive a great deal closer. In 1647 Shivaji, the greatest chief of the Marathas, on hearing that his general Tanaji had died capturing the fort, lamented "I have won the fort, but lost the lion". To commemorate
Ganapatipuli in Southern Maharashtra
Two hundred and fifteen kilometres south of Marud-janjira brings you to the tiny village of GANAPATIPULI, which has a long, golden sandy beach and a very fine Ganapati temple. Although attracting thousands of Indian pilgrims each year, this sleepy place sees relatively few foreign visitors with most of the tourists being honeymooners from Mumbai. The temple is built around a Ganapati omnar, a naturally formed — though not strictly accurate — image of the god. Built in 1923, the temple has some very fine carvings including 47 sculptures of Ganapati variants around the outside. If you're interested, the friendly brahmin
Panchalesvara cave in Southern Maharashtra
The Panchalesvara cave, to the west of town, just across the River Mula, lies in a rather surprising urban setting at the northern end of busy Jungli Maharaj Road (buses #4, #16 or #98). Hewn from rock in the same manner as the more elaborate examples elsewhere in Maharashtra, the cave dates from the Rashtrakuta period (eighth-ninth centuries). Steps lead from the pavement to a path which ends in a square courtyard and a circular roofed Nandi enclosure. Beyond it, the roughly excavated cave, with broad, square, plain pillars, is unfinished, bearing numerous chisel marks, and yet appears to have
Practicalities for Daulatabad (Deogiri) in Maharashtra
If you're not on a guided tour, it's recommended that you hire a guide (Rs80) as the passages of the fort are pitch-black and hopelessly confusing otherwise. Although Daulatabad features on the MTDC guided tour of Ellora from Aurangabad (see p.796), you'll have more time to enjoy it by travelling there on one of the hourly shuttle buses between Aurangabad and the caves. From Daulatabad, it is easy to catch another bus onto Khuldabad and Ellora. The stop is directly opposite the main entrance to the fort, beside the string of chai and souvenir stalls and the good, small MTDC-run
Shaniwarwada Palace in Southern Maharashtra
In the centre of the oldest part of town, only the imposing high walls of the Shaniwarwada Palace (daily 8am—noon & 2—6pm; Rs2) survived three fires 111 the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.The palace, founded by the Peshwa ruler Bajrao I in 1730 and the chief residence of the Peshwas until the British arrived in 1817, has little to excite interest today. Entrance is through the Delhi gate on the northside, one of five set into the perimeter wall, whose huge teak doors come complete with nasty elephant-proof spikes. Just inside, faded murals show Ganapati, Vishnu and scenes from the Ramayana.
Murud-Janjira in Southern Maharashtra
The Konkan coast, stretching south down the length of Maharashtra to Goa, remains unspoilt and has a distinct culture with its own dialect of Marathi and a fiery cuisine. The further you get from Mumbai the quieter and more tranquil it becomes - the towns closer to Mumbai are inundated with Mumbaiakas for much of the year, especially at weekends. The first really nice place is the unspoilt, unhurried little coastal town of MURUD-JANJIRA. 165km south of Mumbai, once part of a state belonging to the Siddis of Janjira. Modern development seems to have passed this quiet backwater by, and many
Travel details in Maharashtra
Trains Aurangabad to: Ahmedabad (4 daily: 18hr); Delhi (5 weekly; 24hr 50min); Mumbai (20 daily; 5hr 15min). Jalgaon to: Agra (3-4 daily; 14hr 20min-17hr 20min); Bangalore (1-2 daily; 24-26hr 30min): Bhopal (2 daily; 7-8hr 25min); Calcutta (4 daily; 28-34hr); Chennai (1 daily; 24hr); Delhi (3 daily; 18-22hr); Gwalior (3-5 daily; 13-15hr); Jhansi (3-5 daily; 11 hr 15min-13hr 20min); Mumbai (9-11 daily; 7hr 40min-9hr 35min); Nagpur (5-7 daily; 7hr 45min-9hr 35min); Pune (16 daily; change at Bhusavel; 10hr); Varanasi (2-4 daily; 19hr 40min-23hr); Wardha (6-7 daily; 6-7hr 30min). Nagpur to: Bhopal (13 daily; 5hr 30min-8hr 30min); Calcutta (4-6 daily; 18hr 40min-24hr); Chennai
Travel details in Mumbai
Trains Direct services to: Agra (4 daily: 23hr 15min-27hr): Ahmedabad (4 daily; 7hr 10min-12hr); Aurangabad {2 daily: 7hr 20mim: Bangalore (3 daily: 24hr 30min); Bhopal (4 daily: 14hr); Calcutta (4 daily; 33-40hr); Chennai (3 daily; 24-29hr); Coimbatore (1 daily; 10hr); Delhi (11 daily; 17-33hr); Hyderabad (2 daily; 15-17hr); Indore (1 daily: 14hr 35min); Jaipur (2 daily: 18-23hr|; Jodhpur (1 daily; 22hr; change at Ahmedabad); Kolhapur (3 daily; 11 -12hr): Nagpur (4 daily; 14-15hr): Nasik (15 daily: 4hr); Pune (25 daily: 3hr 15min-5hr): Thiruvananthapuram (2 daily; 42tir); Udaipur (1 daily; 25hr: change at Ahmedabad); Ujjain (1 daily; 12hr 25 min): Varanasi (2 daily;
Tribal Museum in Southern Maharashtra
The Tribal Research and Training Institute, which runs the Tribal Museum. Koregan Road (daily 10am—5pm; free) 2km east of the railway station, is dedicated to the protection and documentation of Maharashtra's numerous tribal groups, such as the Wagdheo. Bahiram. Danteshwan and Marai, who number more than five million. The museum's faded photos, costumes and artefacts serve as an excellent introduction to this little-known world, but the highlights are the wonderful collections of dance masks and Worli wedding paintings.Talk to the director of the museum if you're interested in guided (but culturally sensitive) tours to tribal areas.
Details of Maharashtra
Vast and rugged, the modern state of MAHARASHTRA, the third largest in India, was created in I960, from the Marathi-speaking regions of what was previously Bombay State. As soon as you leave its seething port capital, Mumbai (formerly Bombay), developed by Europeans, and now the epitome of modern, cosmopolitan, polyglot India, you enter a different world with a different history. Undoubtedly, Maharashtra's greatest treasures are its extraordinary cave temples and monasteries. The finest of all are found near Aurangabad, renamed after the Moghul emperor Aurangzeb and still home to a sizeable Muslim population (as well as the poor man's
Bedsa in southern Maharashtra
It's quite possible that you won't encounter anyone else when visiting the caves at BEDSA, which is one of its great attractions. Once you reach the village, 12km beyond Bhaja on NH-4, or a three-kilo metre bus ride from Kamshet. the nearest railway station, you'll have to ask the way to the unsigned path.The village kids hanging around might scramble up the steep hillside with you, fora fee, Bedsa's chaitya hall, excavated later than that at Karle, is far less sophisticated. The entrance is extremely narrow, leading from a porch which appears to be supported, though of course it is not.
Aga Khan Palace and Gandhi Memorial in Southern Maharashtra
In 1942, Mahatma Gandhi, his wife Kasturba and other key figures of the freedom movement were interned at the Aga Khan Palace (daily 9am—12.30pm & 1.30—6pm; Rs2), which is set in quiet leafy gardens, across the River Mula, 5km northeast of the centre (buses #1, #158 & #156).The Aga Khan donated the palace to the state in 1969. and it is now a small Gandhi museum, typical of many all over India, with captioned photos and simple rooms unchanged since they were occupied by the freedom fighters. A memorial behind the house commemorates Kasturba, who died during their imprisonment. A
Mahabaleshwar in Southern Maharashtra
MAHABALESHWAR. 250km southeast of Mumbai and the most visited hill resort in Maharashtra, is most easily reached from Pune (120km northeast).The highest point in the Western Ghats (1372m), it is subject to extraordinarily extreme weather conditions. The start of June brings heavy mists and a dramatic drop in temperature, followed by a deluge of biblical proportions: up to seven metres of rain can fall in the hundred days up to the end of September. As a result, tourists only come here between November and May; during April and May, at the height of summer, the place is packed. The main attraction
Thiruvananthapuram The City in Kerala
The historical and spiritual heart of Thiruvananthapuram is in the Fort area at the southern end of MG Road, which encloses the Shri Padmanabhaswamy Vishnu temple. Following MG Road north leads you through the main shopping district, which is busy all day, and especially choked when one of the frequent, but generally orderly, political demonstrations converges on the grail" colonial Secretariat building halfway alone. The whole centre can be explored easily on foot, though you might be glad of a rickshaw ride (Rsl 5-20) back from the museums and parks, close to the top end of the road.
Geography around Hyderabad
As you head north from Hyderabad towards the borders of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, the landscape becomes greener and more hilly, sporadically punctuated by attractive black-granite rock formations.There is little to detain visitors here except the small town of Warangal, conveniently situated on the main railway line as it loops across to the east, which warrants a stop to visit the nearby medieval fort and Shiva temple. South of the capital, vast swathes of flat farmland stretch into the centre of the state, where the Nagarjuna Sagar dam has created a major lake with the important Buddhist site of Nagarjunakonda,
Lonavala in Southern Maharashtra
Just thirty years ago, the town of LONAVALA, 100km southeast of Mumbai and 62km northwest of Pune, was a quiet retreat in the Sahyadri hills. Since then, the place has mushroomed to cope with hordes of holiday-makers and second-home owners from the state capital, and is now only of interest as a base for the magnificent Buddhist caves of Karle. Bhaja and Bedsa, some of which date from the Satavahana period (second century BC). Frequent buses arrive at Lonavala's central bus stand, just off the Mumbai-Pune Road (NH-4), but the tram is infinitely preferable. Lonavala is on the main railway
The Buddhist caves of Karle, Bhaja and Bedsa in Southern Maharashtra
The three cave sites of Karle, Bhaja and Bedsa comprise some of the finest rock-cut architecture in the northwest of the Deccan region. Though not in the same league as Ajanta and Ellora, they harbour some beautifully preserved ancient sculpture, dating from the era when this region lay on several long-distance trade routes, and are definitely worth a look if you are passing. The three sites lie some way from each other, all to the east of Lonavala. Covering Karie and Bhaja under your own steam by bus and/or train is manageable in a day, if you are prepared for a