December 4, 2008

~Destination: Kolhapur & Sangli~

Kolhapur, also known as Karveer, was at various times in its history ruled by the Kadambas, Andhrabratyas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Western Chalukyas, Silaharas, Yadavas of Deogiri, Bahamanis, Adilshah and finally the Marathas. Kolhapur remained an independent princely state till independence. One of its most famous rulers in modern times was Rajashri Shahu Chhatrapati who ruled from 1884 to 1922. In 1948 the state was merged with the Indian union, and in 1956 with the Bombay Province. In 1960 after the formation of Maharashtra, it became one of its important districts.
There are several interesting stories as to how the name Sangli originated. One of them is that, there were six (6) Gallies i.e. lanes on the bank of the Krishna River hence the name "SANGLI". The second one is that, the name of the village was Sangalki in Kannad language so in Marathi it became SANGLI. Another belief is that the confluence of Warna and Krishna rivers is near Sangli village. The word for confluence in Marathi is 'Sangam' and the SANGLI is the distorted version of the word Sangam.
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22.11.2008 ~Our Kolhapur trip started on a bad footing. I was having a meeting on that day which ended up very late, so I was late everywhere, but somehow managed to reach the pick-up point on time. When I boarded the bus.... got a shock of my life , the conductor of the bus told me that my bookings were not there in their list and so I have to get down. I was very upset and wanted to fire the Booking Agent of "Red Bus" left and right but I think it was her lucky day becoz her telephones lines were coming unavailable....thought of canceling the entire trip, but then to our gr8 relief the conductor accommodated us and we reached our destination early in the morning at 6.30am.....(Tip- Whenever you are traveling by Bus please call the agents and confirm your bookings on Phone if you are traveling by Red Bus)...one can go by train also to Kolhapur(Mahalaxmi Express).

23.11.2008~Kolhapur City and places around Kolhalpur:
We done our bookings in YHAI hostel (
http://www.yhaindia.org/), to our surprise the rooms were clean and big but only disadvantage was that the hostel was little far from the main city. When we contacted the manager of the hostel for the information about the city he was very helpful but a bit talkative & patronizing (Me and my friend ran from there becoz we thought if he goes on like this we will never get a chance to see the city :))....We got the 6 sitter Rickshaw (Rs.5 per person and my friend was calling it as "tumtum" and in Kolhapur they call it "Vadap") which is very common/cheap means of transportation in the city and also easily available.

Mahlaxmi Temple-: The goddess Mahalaxmi is mentioned in many Puranas. The idol of the Devi is made of precious stone, weighing about 40 Kgs. It contains mater mixed with Hirak bits. This throws light on its ancientness. The form resembles the out-side of Shiva-Ling. It is standing on a stone square, in which Hirak & Sand are found. A lion stands behind. At the middle, there is a natural "Padma-Ragini" (Lotus). The idol is four handed bearing a cane sword & shield. Down the right hand holds "Mhalung" (A kind of fruit) and the left holds dish of "Pan". There is a crown on head, which is overshadowed by Sheshanag (Mythological Cobra with hood, the bed of lord Vishnu). According to research it is 5-6 thousand years old. Since 1000 B.C. the Mouryas ruled, since 30 A.D. Shaliwahan ruled, when in 109 A. D. Raja Karnadeo came from Konkan to Kolhapur, this idol was in a small temple. The Temple which is build after Hemandpanthi style has 5 tops.
Our first destination was Mahalaxmi Temple and if you go early in the morning it’s not crowded and one can take the darshan or pray peacefully. One good thing about this temple is that the temple surrounding is very clean and there is queue system so no pushing around each other to get the darshan (My Friend's mom & my mom typically like all other Indian mom ask us to pray the goddess for good groom :-) )…

Next we went to see Binkhambi Ganesh Mandir which is without any pillars and very near to the Mahalaxmi Temple. The temple has been built in 1882, but the idol is believed to be much older.
After the Temple tours, we were roaming in the market area searching for the famous Kolhapuri spicy Chivda(Deepak Chivada) and Kolhapuri Chapples...(Kolhapur is famous for its chapples, Misal and Pandhara/Tambada Rassa)…. We tasted the famous Kolhapuri Misal (CHOGULE MISAL- they say its the best in the city, but I couldn’t taste or enjoy the misal as I was suffering from cold) which you will find every where in the city ( Its like getting vada pav in every corner of Mumbai).....later on we decided to hire a car to do the sight seeing as the distance between each tourist spot was long ....(one can hire a car for Rs. 900/- per day and they show you all the tourist spot of Kolhapur including the Famous Fort Panhala and Jotiba temple).

The Palace Museum:- The Palace was constructed during 1877-1884. Being an excellent specimen of architecture build in black, polished stone, it has been an attraction for the tourists. It has extensive premises with a beautiful garden, fountain and resting ground. The whole building is eight-angled and has a tower in the middle. The clock on it fixed in 1877 .

(Don’t compare it to the Palaces in Rajasthan....they are very grand and the architecture is very beautiful). The main Highlight of this Palace is the Darbar where the King used to conduct meetings with his subordinates.....it's so grand and beautiful....it takes you in that era...you feel like someone has built a film set....very nice...In the Palace premises they have maintained a small zoo, where one can see dear, ostrich, eagles, rabbits and foreign origin birds....


Our next stop was Town hall Museum, where the Museum houses Satavahana-period items discovered in excavation at nearby Bramhapuri Hill...some of the artifacts are in very good condition...some of the artifacts were badly damaged(sometimes when I see these artifacts I feel very sad....we have such a rich heritage but we don’t take proper care....I have seen that on many such monuments people have written messages of undying love for their beloved....which is very pathetic….)


Then we went to see the Chandrakant Mandare Art Gallery who was a veteran Marathi Actor and also a Painter.....for the first time in my life I have seen such beautiful collection of paintings… most of them were landscape, nature and related to a real place....but very beautiful...worth visiting the art gallery...


Later on we visited the Kolhapur City's famous restuarant-Zorba....very strange sounding name...but the meal was good...not typical kolhapuri food but mix of everything....( if one want to eat the kolhapuri pandhara rassa or thambada rassa (Non-veg) then do visit to Hotel Padma…I have not tried it personally, but recommended by a friend who is from Kolhapur….May be next time I will try it)
After our lunch we were feeling very sleepy :)....but still continued with our sightseeing with our next destination, which was Panhala Fort.

Panhala Fort:- The Fort was built by King Bhoja between 1178-1209 and is the largest of all Deccan forts. It was from here that Chattrapati Shivaji beleaguered for over four months, escaped one rainy night to Vishalgad, while his faithful general Baji Prabhu Deshpande laid down his life holding down the forces of Siddi Johar at a narrow pass, since christened Pavankhind. In the same building, Sajja Kothi, built by Ibrahim Adil-Shah in 1500 AD, that Shivaji imprisoned his errant son Sambhaji who escaped... right into the arms of his father's foes. From Panahla Fort.


One can see from the top the entire panahla region and its very beautiful.... On panhala there are small stalls were people are selling butttermilk and the famous thecha with bhakari….Don’t forget to have the buttermilk...its very refreshing and tasty....me and my friend had 2 glassess of buttermilk....but our only regret was we didn’t taste the thecha & bhakri may be next time.....

When we were coming down after visiting the sajja kothi we saw the most beautiful sunset........clicked through the minds camera and try from digital also.....but will never forget the sunset....


Our next destination was Jotiba temple....
Jotiba Temple:-The original temple was build in 1730 by Navajisaya. The interior is ancient and the idol is four-handed. This temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. This is also called Kedarnath and Wadi Ratnagiri. Mythology says, Jotiba helped Mahalaxmi in her fight with the demons. He founded his kingdom on this mountain. He belongs to the Nath cult.
After the darshan we started back our return journey to city lights.....our last stop was Rankala Lake.... . By the time we reached there it was very dark and we couldn’t see much...the only thing we notice that there were stalls everywhere selling snacks same like Juhu Chowpaty .....

Rankala Lake:- This lake was constructed by late Maharajah, Shri Shahu Chhatrapati.
After our diner to Gokul Resturant, we return to our Hostel with a tired body but not with a tired mind.......went to sleep immediately....

24.11.08~ Bahubali, Ramteerth, Khidrapur & Narsobachi Wadi
Our next destination was Bahubali & Ramteerth.... we went straight to Bus Depot and caught a bus for Ichalkaranji. Its fun in traveling in MRTC (we call it as 'ST' OR 'Red Dubba)....but I must tell you that the MRTC services has been improved and the people were very helpful in providing the directions....After reaching Ichalkaranji, we discover that both the Ramteerth and Bahubali are in opposite direction, so first we went to Ramteerth by hiring a Rickshaw, the legend says that the place is so named because Rama stayed here during his vanvaas or exile in the forest. The amazing thing about this Temple is that the shivling is in the cave, surrounded by water and inside the cave throughout the year the water sips in through the walls of the cave. The Pujari of the Temple informed us that in rainy season the shivling goes under water and it is one of the shivling out of 108 shivlings which Lord Rama has placed throughout India. He also showed us the faces of Lord Ganesha created by the water on the walls of the cave. The surrounding is very peaceful but not well maintain by the Govt.

In the same Rickshaw, we went to visit the Bahubali temple, which has a 28 feet tall marble statue of Bahubali and surrounded by the temples of the 24 tirthankaras or saints.
This "Aajii" was there at the Bahubali Temple, when we requested her she posed for the shutterbug.....the smile on her face was worth watching....

After the Darshan we came back to the Depot and caught a bus for Jaisingpur. and from there we got the bus for Kurundwad which took us to the Temple at khidrapur….

Kidrapur Temple :- The Khidrapur Temple (Kopeshwar), Ancient & artistic temple situated on the bank of Krishna is a fine example of ancient sculpture. It was built in 11-12 century by Shilahar. In the interior one can see first Vishnu(Dhopeshwar) and Shivling facing north. But there is no nandi who has separate Mandir. Separate Actor-Pendal, hall, old pillars, carvings of gods & male-female artists in various poses are attractive. The ceiling is semicircular with matchless engravings. On the outside complete 'Shivaleetamrit' is carved When sati Parvati jumped into Daxa's sacrifice, Lord Shiva was angry. He got peace of mind in this temple. From entrance to Shivaling, we feel peace, coldness and dark. The entire temple rests on a gajapeeth which is a semi-circular platform resting on the back of 92 carved elephants.

After spending some time at the temple, we caught a Vadap for kurundwad, have I mentioned that in that vadap 12 to 14 people can be accommodated…we got down at Kurundwad and caught a Rickshaw for Narsobachi wadi.

Narsobachi Wadi:- It is situated on the confluence of the rivers Krishna and Panchaganga. It is well known for the holy padukas or slippers of Dattaguru ( an incarnation of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh Alternatively, these stand for the three ‘gunas’ or qualities i.e.sattva, rajas, and tamas in people.). Narasimha Saraswati, considered an incarnation of Dattaguru lived here for 12 years.


At Narsobachi Wadi we stayed at "Bhakti Niwas" which is near to the Temple and very comfortable/reasonable…after the darshan we were sitting on the Ghat watching the activities.....The atmosphere was so peaceful.....On that particular day one group from Kolhapur was celebrating “Deepotsva” in the Tepmple, so they organized puja and Bhajan …. We enjoyed the evening on the Ghat, listening to the Bhajans and watching life goes by as the evening was turning in to night. They put lots of diyas on the steps of the ghat and decorated the premises with rangoli and flowers. From that group one Aunty started talking to us and we learned that for past 3 years they were celebrating the deepotsav everywhere in Kolhapur…..Then around 7.30 the Palkhi of Laord Datta’s paduka was taken out….the Palkhi was carried by the Pujaries of the Temple who were singing the bhajan praising the Lord Datta in their melodious voice….The entire atmosphere was magical…..Later on we lighted the diyas and also put diyas in the river as an evening ritual done by many ladies present on the ghat…After Lightineg the diyas the entire ghat and temple was looking very beautiful…..after watching the procession for some time we took the leave of Aunty, who invited us for diner…..but we declined their offer and proceeded towards the market in search of Restaurant. In the market area there are various restaurants which serves good vegetarian meals….we went to “Joshi Bhojanalaya”, where they have a thali system which is very reasonable ( Rs.35/- per thali) and the food was very tasty plus unlimited…..hmmm….double bonus for us….


After our meals we took a stroll in the market. In the late evening we sat on the Ghat watching the river and stars….I love watching the stars…..whenever I get a chance to go outside Mumbai my favorite pass time is watching the stars as we don’t get a opportunity to watch them in Mumbai because of towers and pollution….And I have noticed that in villages the night sky looks very beautiful with all the stars in their full glory…..after spending some time on the ghat we turn in for the night because next day we wanted witnessed  the Sun rise….

25.11.2008~ We got up at 5.30am and proceeded towards the ghat for the darshan and to see the sunrise….To our amazement even though it was little early by Mumbai standard….people were there for darshan or taking a bath in Krishna river…for us it was a different sight as our mornings are so different, always running around, getting ready for the office, eating the half breakfast to catch the loacal train….hmmmmm, we are always in hurry to reach somewhere…never stopping to watch or enjoy the sunrise or sunset.. while  observeing people, the rive, one feel very  good, refreshed … the surrounding  made me think, where my life is heading and maybe like everyone else am I also one of the participant in the  rat race???......I dont remember ever seeing any sunrise or sunset which was so beautiful and without any hindrance....
The Sun rise was awesome, and  enjoyed every second of sunrise, every minute the Sky was changing its color...... There was fog on the river and the entire atmosphere became magical...... the entire scene was breathtakingly beautiful....and every time different scene being created.....as if someone was painting the sky with different shades......
Afterwards,  our breakfast we slept for a while as we have to cover only 2 destinations that day and were not in hurry.

Later in the day, we caught a bus for Sangli City and from there we hire a Rickshaw for Haripur to see the Sangameshwar Temple and Lord Ganesha Temple. Sangameshwar Temple is an ancient temple in Haripur at the 'sangam' i.e confluence of Krishna and Warna rivers. One can easily see the sangam of these two rivers...one can see clearly the confluence of two rivers....it feels like by his presence the bird is making waves....


After the darshan we returen back to bus depot to get a bus for Audumber. But at the bus depot everyone was giving different directions…so got confused but finally got the right bus for Audumber and reached there in the afternoon….The followers of Lord 'Dattatreya' believe that Shri. Narsinha Sarswati' is the fourth incarnation of Lord 'Dattatreya'. He resided in Audumber for a year. Hence, they built a temple near the Krishna river…..like Narsobachi wadi, the surrounding of this temple is also very peaceful….I simply enjoyed sitting on the ghats and watching the birds....
after spending 1hour there, we started our return journey as our last stop was the famous Lord Ganesha Temple of Sangli…


The Ganapati Temple of Sangli:- The Ganpati Temple is regarded as the most beautiful temple in south Maharashtra. It is situated on the banks of river Krishna at Sangli. Thorle (elder) Chintamanrao Patwardhan consecrated the idol in 1843. The temple has been artistically built with black stone brought from Jyotibha hills. There is a platform, a hall and a 'Nagarkhana' inside the vast two acres complex of the temple. The entrance door has been carved out of different coloured natural wood. The idol of the Lord Ganapati is made of copper. The idol has been kept in a way that it is visible from any part of Ganapati Peth. They say during our freedom struggle, the premises of this temple were used as meeting place. Lokmanya Tilak amd Mahatma Gandhi has held meeting here.

At the Temple we met one girl…she directed us to various places in sangli and was very much surprise to hear that we were traveling alone…I forgot to ask her name though....

After visiting the temple me and my friend started for our shopping towards the market area to buy the Jaggery, which is very famous in that part of Maharashtra. We end up buying lots of things….then with our all belonging, we went to one restaurant call “Pai Prakash”….the Food was really good…I took the mini thali and they serve us the typical maharashtrian food like Bhakri, thecha and stuff bringal…..it was a gourmets delight ….

Our train was at 9.45pm so we were passing our time in the restaurant ….after some time it was time for us to leave for the railway station…. back to the ground reality of life…to Mumbai...to Home…office…work…

With all the memories we bid goodbye to sangli city……in search of next destination….