Kolhapur

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name=Kolhapur
locator_position=right
latd = 16.7000|longd=74.2333
state_name=Maharashtra
district=Kolhapur
leader_title=Mayor
leader_name=Uday Salokhe
altitude= 569
population_as_of = 2001 | population_total = 419,000 | area_magnitude=1 E?
area_telephone= 0231
postal_code= 416001
vehicle_code_range= MH-09
footnotes=|

Kolhapur audio|Kolhapur.ogg|pronunciation (Marathi:कोल्हापूर) is a city situated in the south west corner of Maharashtra, India. The population of Kolhapur is around 419,000. The main language is Marathi. It is situated on the banks of river Panchganga and provides the location for the Mahalakshmi Temple. The city also lends its name to many common terms like "Kolhapuri Chappal , Kolhapuri lavangi mirchi, Kolhapuri gur and Kolhapuri cuisine".

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.

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 regionbuild 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 [ [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1263122,page-1.cms Kolhapur's passion for Mercs] ] . 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.

Kolhapur as a Princely State

. Its rulers, of the Bhonsle dynasty, were entitled to a 19-gun salute - thus Kolhapur was also known as a 19-gun State. The state flag was a swallow-tailed orange pennant.

Kolhapur state, together with its "jagirs" or feudatories, covered an area of 3,165 square miles (8,200 km²). According to the 1901 census, the state population was 910,011, of which 54,373 resided in Kolhapur Town. In 1901, the state enjoyed an estimated revenue of £300,000.

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 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.

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 [ [http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:0qG3fFKLdHAJ:www.centralrailwayonline.com/examples/jsp/Twentyth.htm+kolhapur+railway&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=ukv Kolhapur moved between Indian Railway zones] ] . It has daily trains to Mumbai, Pune, Tirupati, Bangalore 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 & sambhajinagar bus stand spread around the city. These provide services connecting to most of 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.

Geography

Kolhapur is located at coord|16.7|N|74.22|E|. [ [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/16/Kolhapur.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Kolhapur] ] It has an average elevation of 545 metres (1788 ft).

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, [GR|India] 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

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.Fact|date=March 2008

Tehsils

Shirol

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

Hatkalangale

This is adjuscent tehsil to shirol and Ichalkaranji is major town in this tehsil.

Karveer

This is central tehsil and Kolhapur, the district headquarters, falls in this tehsil.Kolhapur city is situated in this tehsil.

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 Shivaji Sawant, who is famous for novels like Mrutyunjay, Yugandhar, Chhava.

Kagal

This is the birthplace of Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj of kolhapur. It has two main river called as "Dudhganga" & "Vedganga". 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. Bidri. The MP of Kolhapur Mr.Sadashivrao Mandlik is from this taluka.

Gadhinglaj

This is the southern tehsil in the district and touches Karnataka state
this is in maharastra state

Chandgad

This is the southern tehsil in the district & touches Karnataka, Goa & kokan.

bhudargad

bhudargad is one of the tahsil in kolhapur district.Palghar is new developed twon in this tahsil.

References

PALGHAR IS NEW HEHSIL IN KOLHAPUR

See also

* Shivaji University
* Textile & engineering institute,Rajwada,Ichalkaranji
* List of Indian Princely States
*Government College of Engineering
*D. Y. Patil college of Engineering and Technology, Kolhapur
*Tatyasaheb Kore Institute of Engineering and Technology
*Rajaram College Kolhapur
*St. Xavier's High School, Kolhapur
*Mahalakshmi Temple
*Rankala Lake
*Panhala
*Jyotiba
*Bhavani Mandap
*Rajarampuri
*Gaganbawada
*Tatyasaheb Kore
*Vinay Kore
*Tejaswini Sawant
*Khashaba Jadhav
*Shrenik Industries Engg Division