This is the perfect message for the coming New Year. Life is full of surprises and we don’t know what will happen. All we can do is promise ourselves to stay calm, be humble and come out strong. 2014 was great and I hope that 2015 too will be an amazing “book” for me.
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Kolhapur is not merely a tourism centre for the drifters, but it evokes prodigious images of virgin beauty and blissful enchantment. This fact was unfurled to me from the very beginning of my journey to Kolhapur. I could feel that air of excitement after reaching the joyful city of Marathas. I praised the city for its Goddess Mahalaxmi, who has bestowed love, wealth, prosperity and health to the city’s grassroots. One more thought that was wondering behind me was its great past history of Battle of Pavan Kind Kolhapur, where I was about to reach in a couple of minutes. The city houses the glorious history of brave and great warrior of Maratha named Chhatrapati Shivaji. Also named as the Panhala Fort, the domain of battlefield is the dating back history of the great Shivaji’s follower and commander of his army, Baji Prabhu Deshpande. He fought till his last breathe to protect Shivaji safely from the reach of Adil Shah II, who wanted to win back the Panhala Fort, which was taken by Shivaji after a battle with his father, Afzul Khan, the general of Bijapur in 1659. During the battle Shiva Kashid and Baji Prabhu, who looked like Shivaji, kept the army engaged with them battling in the darkness of the night. This gave time for Shivaji to escape to Vishalgad. In the mean time, three fourth of the army was killed, including Baji Prabhu in the battle with Adil Shah’s massive force of soldiers. It was in 1673, when Shivaji permanently occupied the fort. This was the story narrated to me by my guide and I could well observe the Fort for which that massive battle happened. It is said that the Fort used to house 20,000 soldiers and 15,000 horses at a time during the period.. The Battle of Pavan Khind gave me an evidence of India’s courage and valour, which was shown and fulfilled by Baji Prabhu and his flock of brave soldiers. Saluting these brave icons, I headed towards the Shalini Palace Kolhapur, where I pre booked my room to have a comfortable and joyful stay that matches my student and colourful travelling life.
Kolhapuri Chappal : I recently bought a pair of Kolhapuri chappal. I always wanted to get one. I had a great time wearing them, they are very comfortable. What makes them so comfortable is the fact that they are hand crafted by skilled leather slipper designers.
With fond memories of all the visited spots till then, I swayed into the thoughts of my next place of visit. I am a girl of high expectations and full of mood in expedition. Trekking has always been into my priority lists. I can give up anything and everything for a simple trekking experience. With my backpack ready, I look forward for any areas of trekking to have a joyful achievement. Though my vacation to Kolhapur did not include any such arrangements, yet my next visited spot reminded me of one of its kind. Panhala, a small city in Maharashtra is basically a hill station in its own way, with a sense of beautification and congenial atmosphere surrounding it. My adventure to the Panhala city was restricted to a famous fort, Panhala Fort Kolhapur, not denying the fact that there are many other places of interest too with each of them having its share of haunting tales. The Panhala Fort built on the sprawling area of the city, gives a panoramic sight of the valley below. Located 22 km away from Kolhapur district and at a height of 3177 feet above the level of the sea, the fort is intimately connected to the ancient Mughal Empire. Shivaji, founder of the fort had spent nearly 500 days at this fort, despite of other childhood homes. The varied and long history of Panhala Fort justifies its strategic significance in protecting one of the many principal routes through the Western Ghats. The most powerful and the imposing structure of the fort was the Teen Darwaza, which made me to stare at it constantly. My visit to this fort comprised of many sections, a tour to Ambarkhana housing the palace, granary and the administration department, the Sajja Koth embellished with a long interesting story of its period, Kalavaticha Mahal, Andhar Bavadi a hidden well to stationed soldiers, and last but not the least, the Dharma Kothi. The architecture of the Panhala Fort Kolhapur is inherited from the Bijapuri style with peculiarity of the peacock motif easily visible on the different structures. The beautiful carvings and its historical evidence had a remarkable and keen impression on my experiences of the journey. I was getting contented to the uniqueness and sprawling areas of Kolhapur, with so much of literature inherited in it. |
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About Author.
Hello, I am Ayushi Manroa. I love travelling and have also dabbled in photography. Being a student, I mostly end up back-packing! I started this blog to record my travelogues about the amazing places that I have been to. Be it frolicking in Goa, taking a dip in the Ganges, trekking in Coorg or hitching a ride up the Western Ghats, it is all listed here along with some of my best shots. Hope you like it. Happy reading!
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