Kolhapur
Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. 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. The region is known for the production of the famous hand-crafted and braided leather slippers called Kolhapuri chappal, which received the Geographical Indication designation in 2019. In Hindu mythology, Kolhapur is referred to as "Karvir." Before the Independence of India , Kolhapur was a princely state under the Bhosale Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire. It is an important center for the Marathi film industry. Etymology. Kolhapur is named after Kolhasur, a demon in Hindu mythology. According to the myth, the demon Kolhasur, after his sons were killed by God for harassing people, left asceticism, returned to the place, and worshipped Mahalakshmi that she would leave the place and leave him alone for a hundred years. During this period he committed endless crimes. After a hundred years the goddess returned and killed him for his sins. The dying wish of Kolhasur was  to name the place after him, which was granted and the place was named Kolhapur. Kolha stands for Kolhasur and "pur", a Sanskrit word, means "city". History. Medieval era. The Shilahara family at Kolhapur founded a dynasty, about the time of the downfall of the Rashtrakuta Empire, that ruled over southern Maharashtra; the modern districts of Satara, Kolhapur, and Belagavi (Karnataka). 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. They carried the banner of 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, sometimes they are referred to as 'Shilaharas of Karad'. Later, although the capital was shifted to Kolhapur, some of their grants mention Valavada and the hill fort of Pranalaka or Padmanala,(Panhala) as the places of the royal residence. Even  though the capital was shifted to Kolhapur, Karhad retained its significance during the Shilahara period. This branch rose to power in the latter part of the Rashtrakuta rule and unlike the kings of the other two branches, those of this branch do not mention the genealogy of the Rashtrakutas even in their early grants. They acknowledged the suzerainty of the later Chalukya dynasty for some time. They had used Kannada as an official language as can be seen from their inscriptions. This branch continued to hold southern Maharashtra from circa 940 to 1220. From 940 to 1212 CE, Kolhapur was  the centre of power of the Shilahara dynasty. An inscription at Terdal states that the king Gonka (1020 - 1050 CE) was bitten by a snake then healed by a Jain 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", after the king. 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 rulers of the Western Chalukya Empire and the rulers of the Chola empire, Rajadhiraja Chola and his younger brother Rajendra Chola II. In 1052 CE, following the Battle of Koppam, the victor, Rajendra Chola II, marched on to Kolhapur and there he erected a "jayastambha" (victory pillar). Between 1109 and 1178 CE, the Kopeshwar temple to Lord Shiva was built by the Shilahara kings, Gandaraditya I, Vijayaditya, and  Bhoja II in Khidrapur, Kolhapur. Kolhapur State. The state of Kolhapur was established by Tarabai in 1707 because of the succession dispute over the Maratha kingship. The Maratha throne was then governed by descendants of Tarabai. One of the prominent Kings was Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj (Shahu of Kolhapur). In his reign, he promoted cost free education to people of all castes 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 (Dakshin in Marathi/Hindi/Sanskrit means South, Kashi is a holy city in Northern India) due to its rich religious history. 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, Geography. Kolhapur is an inland city located in south-west Maharashtra state, south of Mumbai and south of Pune, north-west of Bengaluru and west of  Hyderabad. Within Maharashtra, Kolhapur's nearest cities and towns are Ichalkaranji , Kodoli , Peth Vadgaon Kagal , Kasaba Walva Sangli , Satara . Kolhapur has an elevation of . It lies in the Sahayadri mountains in the Western Ghats. Tambraparni river dam is a spectacular place near Umgaon village. Also nearby dams are Radhanagari and Kalambawadi. Panhala and Jyotiba Temple are close by. Climate. Kolhapur's climate is a blend of coastal and inland elements common to Maharashtra. The temperature has a range 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 due to its proximity to the Western Ghats. The heavy rains often lead to severe flooding during these months. 2005, 2006,2019 and 2021 were years when floods occurred. Temperatures are low in the rainy season and range between . Kolhapur experiences winter from November to February. The winter temperatures are warmer than other cities in Maharashtra such as Pune and Nashik. Lows range from while highs are in the range of due to its high elevation and being adjacent to the Western Ghats. Humidity is  low in this season making the weather much more pleasant. Hydrology. The Panchganga River originates in the Western Ghats. It has five tributaries which supply the city and surrounds: the Bhogavati, Tulsi, Kumbhi, Kasari and the 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; the Anti-Encroachment Drive to stop unwanted building activity encroaching on the city's open space; and the Suvarna Jayanti Nagarotthan Project to improve of roads and storm water management. However KMC faces problems like expansion of civic limits of Kolhapur city which have not increased from 1972, due to the same this city fails to avail the benefits of various government schemes. On 16 August 2017, Kolhapur Municipal and Regional Development Authority was established. This authority operates in Kolhapur city  and 42 villages around Kolhapur city. This authority formed for the balanced development of Kolhapur city and the surrounding 42 villages. Demographics. As per the reports of 2011 Census of India, population of Kolhapur city is 549,236 and population of 'Kolhapur Municipal and Regional Development Authority' is 561,837. Kolhapur has one of the highest Human Development Index in India which stood at 0.770 in 2011. Economy. Manufacturing industry. Kolhapur has a Higher per capita domestic product than the states average. It has auto-ancillary, Foundry, and Casting industrial establishments which act as supporting industries for Pune and Bangalore industries. The  city is the home of Kolhapuri chappal, a hand-crafted buffalo leather slipper that is locally tanned using vegetable dyes. Kolhapuri slippers are sold on Mahadwar road. Other handicrafts include: hand block printing of textiles; silver, bead and paste jewellery crafting; pottery; wood carving and lacquerware; brass sheet work and oxidised silver artwork;and lace and embroidery making. Kolhapur is also an industrial city with approximately 300 foundries producing exports with a value of 15 billion rupees per year. A manufacturing plant of Kirloskar Oil Engines [KOEL] is set up in 5 star MIDC at Kagal near Kolhapur, and the Raymond  clothes plant is also located in the same industrial area. Kolhapur has two more industrial areas, Gokul-Shirgaon MIDC, Shiroli MIDC and Shivaji Udyamnagar is an industrial area in the city. Shivaji Udyamnagar has a rich entrepreneurial tradition of more than 100 years and a high skilled artisanship in the area of oil engines. Kolhapuri jewelry includes a type of necklace called Kolhapuri saaj, patlya (two broad bangles), chinchpeti (choker), tanmani (short necklace), nath (nose ring), and bajuband (an amulet). Tourism. The Bombay Gazateer recorded almost 250 temples in the region of which 6 - Ambabai, Temblai, Vithoba, Mahakali, Phiranga and  Yallamma temples are considered most prominent ones. Tourism is another source of revenue with about three million visitors to the city per year. Kolhapur's attractions include: At the annual Dusshera procession, the Kolhapur Maybach car of the chhatrapatis of Kolhapur is displayed to the public. 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 work of renovation and new locations of Kolhapur film city is  going on. Cuisine. Kolhapur cuisine includes mutton dishes, Kolhapuri misal, and ethnic meat The city also lends its name to certain types of food and ingredients, such as Kolhapuri lavangi (chili peppers), Kolhapuri jaggery (cane juice concentrate), Kolhapuri masala (spice mixture) and kolhapuri chutney (kanda-lasun chutney or 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 to 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 chilies. Media and telecommunication. Kolhapur's main newspaper is the "Pudhari". 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 Kusti in Hindi/Marathi) and football are the most played sports in the city. Wrestling. Kolhapur 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 Chattrapati Shahu Maharaj(1894–1922). During this golden age, he built Akharas or Taleems (as colloquially called here) all over Kolhapur and organized wrestling tournaments, inviting wrestlers from across undivided India. Since then, Kolhapur 's wrestling culture has been dominated by various Taleems like Gangavesh taleem,Shahupuri taleem, Motibag taleem, etc. In each of these, more than 70 wrestlers undertake training. India's first individual Olympian Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, India's first Hind Kesari Shripati Khanchnale, Rustam-E-Hind Dadu Chougule belonged to Kolhapur. Rajarshi 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), Jaysingrao Kusale (Indian shooter), Tejaswini Sawant (Arjuna awardee,world championship gold medalist shooter ), Dadu Chowgule (Rustam E Hind), Rahi Sarnobat (Arjuna awardee, Asian Gold medalist in shooting), Rucha Pujari (chess - Woman International Master), 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 Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi. A daily shuttle service connects Kolhapur with the main rail hub of Miraj on the Central Railway main line. A new railway route from Miraj via Kolhapur till 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. 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. There are daily flights from Kolhapur to  Hyderabad and Bengaluru operated by Alliance Air. Indigo operates daily flights to Hyderabad Airport and Tirupati Airport as well as three times a week to Ahmedabad Airport & Trujet operates flights to Mumbai Airport and Jalgaon Airport. The nearest international airports to Kolhapur are Pune International Airport () and Goa International Airport (). Expansion of runway and construction of and airport terminal building is in progress. 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 purely on merit in entrance exam. The city attracts students form all over India and Africa. Languages. Kolhapur has a distinct way of using the Marathi language. For example, women will also use words which are normally used by men while speaking. Names are uniquely shortened to utter them faster. For example, शंकर becomes शंक्रोबा. Some phrases are unique to the local dialect, and especially popular among the youth, such as 'काय भावा?', 'नाद नाही करायचा', 'काटा कीर्रर्र', 'खटक्यावर बोट, and 'जाग्यावर पल्टी'. 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.