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

PANHALA FORT

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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.

Jyotiba Temple – It Is Family Divine Being Of The Scindias Of Gwalior

JYOTIBA TEMPLE

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KOLHAPUR

If ever you go to Kolhapur, the one place that you must include in your travel itinerary is Jyotiba, the holy shrine of Lord Kedarnath up in the hills near the bustling city with its true Maratha flavour. 

It is not for nothing that Jyotiba is called the ‘The King of the Deccan’. Throughout the year the deity draws devotees in huge numbers. Also, it is known for being the family deity of the Scindias of Gwalior.

Jyotiba temple is an important Hindu religious destination located at an altitude of 3124 feet above sea level in the Panhala range of Maharashstra. It is believed that the main deity the Jyotiba is formed from the souls of three Primary Gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Legendery stories tell that Jyotiba is formed to kill the demon Ratnasur.

The shrine of Lord Kedarnath has its faithful across not just Maharashtra but also Goa and Karnataka. Close to the Panhala Fort, it can be reached within half-an-hour from Kolhapur, situated as it is at a short distance of about 20 kilometers north-west of the Mahalakshmi Temple.

 The original name of the hill that hosts the shrine is Ratnagiri, which is now called Wadi-Ratnagiri. Ancient as it is, the temple of Jyotiba has been renovated three times till date and the present reconstruction was carried out in 1730 CE by the ancestors of the Scindia family of Gwalior.

The original deity is in ‘Shivlinga’ form and known as Kedareshwar. The Bhairav idol, Kedarnath or Jyotiba, was an addition in time. The deities that are important along with that of Jyotiba are those of Yamai and Chopadai.

 It is said that this shrine was under the control of the Nathpanthis for a long time. Mythology has it that this Bhairav was brought from North India and installed at Wada Ratnagiri by the goddess Mahalakshmi in order to kill Ratnasura, a demon.

The Jyotiba hill has 12 ‘jyotirlingas’ installed around the main Kedareshwar shrine and for many this is one of the main pilgrimage destinations. It is said that these jyotirlingasfrom all over India were installed here by Kedarnath or Jyotiba himself. An annual fair of Jyotiba takes place on the full moon night of the Hindu months of Chaitra.

Distance from Mumbai: 377 kms.

Jyotiba is 18 km north-west of Kolhapur.

Contact Details:

Shri Kshetra Jyotiba Dongar,

Taluka Panhala,

Dist - Kolhapur