Panhala Fort - It Presents Some Out Of This World Views.

PANHALA FORT

AT

KOLHAPUR

Panhala Fort is located in panhala, 20 km northwest of Kolhapur in state of maharastra.This is place is around 3127 feet above the sea level and hence the climate around here is very cold but pleasant.

There are many a remains of the fort which are now being looked after by the Archaeological Survey of India.

The fort can be visited during any season but what make it more compelling, mysterious and exciting are the fog and the dense greenery that sprouts up during the monsoon.

 There are hotels aplenty in Panhala and you can enjoy here the typical Kolhapuri cuisine. While entering Panhala you will come across the mausoleum of Vir Shiva Kashid whose statue is at the entrance of the fort. Walk along the opposite side of this statue and you will reach the Parashar cavern which possibly could have been a Buddhist cave.

Further, at the summit of the roads is the statue of Bajiprabhu Deshpande. From there a road leads to the three-storied andharbaw (the dark well) and Teen Darwaja and Konkan Darwaja along with their fortifications.

The other leads to the Sajja Koti which was built by Ibrahim Adil Shah to watch over the lower regions. Then the third road leads to Someshwar or Somale Tank which has a mention in the medieval treatise ‘Karveer Mahatmyam’.

In the centre of the fort is situated the Amberkhana or granaries, three in number built in typical Bijapur style. Apart from these, the Naykinicha Sajja (place of the courtesan), Dharm koti, Wagh Darwaja and Rajdindi are worth visiting.

Along with these beautiful medieval architectural specimens, there is a monument dedicated to Sambhaji Raja and temples of Ambabai, Mahakali, Someshwar along with mausoleums of Jijabai, Sambhaji Raja II’s wife, Ramchandra Pant Amatya and Moropant, the famous Marathi poet.

Today this place is a one of the upcoming tourism spot and hill station in Maharashtra although the place is developed to extent it could be due to lack of interest of Maharshtra government to develop tourism industry here but due to few sebsible business people from kholhapur who put their efforts to promote the tourism in this place have supported lots of development over here.

 This is one of the best and very reasonable palce as far as the hill stations around the India are concerned. 

There are many small and medium hotels providing reasonable accommodation with the facility of restaurant only one thing you will not get the liquor over here as it is prohibited in this area by the Maharashtra government.

By Air

The nearest airport is at Pune. There is a domestic airport at Kolhapur but there is no regular air service.

By Rail

Kolhapur is well connected to all the major cities. Miraj, at one hour distance from Kolhapur is the major rail junction.

By Road

Kolhapur is well connected to all the major cities. Kolhapur is linked to Pune- Bangaluru highway. There are regular ST buses as well as private buses plying to Kolhapur.

 Panhala Fort - It presents some out of this world views.