Gagangiri Maharaj Math Temple Kolhapur : The Gagangiri Maharaj Math Temple Kolhapur is located at Dijapur, a forest very close to Kolhapur. The scenic beauty of the place lures tourists from far and wide to this location. It is the location where Gagangiri Maharaj served penance from 1932 to 1940. We clicked several photographs here and had a lot of fun.
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It had been quite some time and I enjoyed relishing the real taste of Kolhapur. The fort is well-connected to the city and this was a great convenient factor for me. I reached the Hotel Shalini Palace Kolhapur easily by a private cab. I spent that short trip while crazily looking out of the window as the city was simply colourful. The city and its folks profoundly stir the spirits of cheers and gratitude towards the designer of such an exquisite homeland. The splendid heritage and improbable archaeology followed with indigenous gardens and lakes, and magnificent temples of the city are bestowed by Goddess Mahalaxmi. All these features were mesmerizing to great extent. While heading towards my hotel, my eyes were peeping outside, seeking for Kolhapuri slippers, my all-time favourite. I grew up wearing these slippers. Comfortable, ethnic and stylish, the slipper says it all. At last, I got the one of my choice and ended up buying three to four pairs of them. Hurrying towards the hotel as I was dying of hunger, I checked in the allotted room and ordered some mouth-watering snacks from the hotel’s menu card. Till then I freshened up in my sophisticated and well-furnished room with luxury bathroom and the accessories. Though ranked in budget background, the hotel is rather a choice of comfort. In the meantime my food arrived with aroma of flavours sprinkled in it and it was followed with coffee. I relished the delicacies of Kolhapur. They were simply authentic and had the awe factor. Though I generally avoid over eating despite being a foodie, this time it was a big failure. With a tight stomach and a great mood, I decided to encircle the hotel corridors and interiors. I must say it is literally an impressive and massive building with wood work on its entrance gate. Embellished with Italian marble and black stone, the carvings emerge out with special effects. The warm cosy atmosphere was inspiring me to have a long walk in the premises of the Hotel Shalini Palace Kolhapur but I failed to do so as I was badly tired. Without thinking any more I got back to my lavish room to have plenty of spare time chatting with friends online and stay relaxed for the rest of the evening. The next morning I had an appointment with Shree Chhatrapati Shahu Museum Kolhapur.
Phadatare Misal Kendra Kolhapur : Phadatare Misal Kendra Kolhapur is a lovely food outlet for those who desire a taste of the authentic Kolhapur food. The food here is spicy but definitely delicious. The Misal is usually served with Pav but you may also request for bread slices. The dish goes best if you top it with a dash of lime.
The unrivalled memories of the temple and the lake were keenly settling down in my mind. It was a bit tiring day but my habit of freaking and frolicking sustained my tiredness. Before my mind could keep a pace on its thought for the next visit, Siddhagiri Gramjivan Museum (Kaneri math), I was tempted to dwell in a famous pub of Kolhapur to enjoy its night life. The Kalkai friend club is one of the famous night clubs in Kolhapur. Being a girl, I was not sure about the environment of the pub, but after reaching the place. I was quite astonished with the friendly atmosphere. Though no one accompanied me, I did not found myself isolated at the place. It was a heart throbbing and entertaining place to visit. Next morning, I freshly headed towards the famous museum, Siddhagiri Gramjivan museum (Kaneri math), located in the Kolhapur district, near Pune Bangalore Highway, adorned with complete flora and fauna, surrounded by quiet and calm hilly region. As the name suggests, the museum showcases the lifestyle of the village, with the distinctive combination of liveliness, expression, and accuracy of the whole village. It was a self sufficient village, where all the daily needs of the habitants are catered within and by the people themselves, so that no external interference obstructs their daily life, was at time a dream village of Mahatma Gandhi. The charm and depiction of reality was a lifelong memory to my mind. I got carried away with its inspirational views and ideas. The lush-green garden and scenery surrounding the museum is an oasis of serenity and tranquility. Women fetching water from wells, farmers in a pose of harvesting grains, shepherds engaged in herds, children strolling towards the school, and woman feeding her child through the depictions in Siddhagiri Gramjivan Museum (Kaneri math), depict the real view of the village life. I could thoroughly relate myself to any typical village as nothing could be more elaborately and exquisitely displayed as depicted in the museum. With a mark of domestication and culture inherited in my mind, I moved towards my next place of visit, Panhala Fort Kolhapur.
Khidrapur Temple Kolhapur : The Khidrapur temple lies to the East of Kolhapur. The temple lies on the holy banks of the Krishna River. The magnificent architecture of this temple is what amazes me. It has been intricately carved. I even clicked several pictures on my visit which I am going to add to my Kolhapur album.
Unlike other youngsters of this generation, my likings for the religious faith and Indian customs are above the thinking of an individual. A rational in behavior, with positive approach to life, I don’t take things for granted. I am not a slave to any religion or highly devoted worshipper of any deity, but my belief in God is quite strong undoubtedly. I completely adhere to the saying ‘God is Almighty’ and firmly believe in one God. With this aspect of thinking, I move on in my life with the hope of blessings at each and every step I went through. Same was my expectation for the next place of visit, the Mahalakshami temple Kolhapur. With high hope and desire to be completely blessed by the shower of the famous ‘Shakti Peeth’ I bowed down to its floor. The temple was just half a kilometer away from my last spot so I could reach there easily. The temple has its religious significance that the devotee can either fulfill all the desires or can obtain salvation from desires. It was not applying to my reason of visit. For me desires are the way to accept challenges, to explore knowledge and if the will deteriorates, the life would no longer be enthusiastic and victorious. But for the other devotees the belief on the Goddess justifies it. The temple depicts the remarkable features of Goddess Lakshmi. The four-armed and the crowned goddess holds the object of symbolic importance. Belonging to the Kannada Chalukya Empire, the architectural structure of the temple is quite appreciable. From the congregation of the people inside the temple, I was well aware that the affections and the blessings showered by the goddess were immeasurable. Mahalakshmi temple Kolhapur is indeed a place of blind faith and divine. Placed on the stone platform, the adorned precious stones perfectly reflect the ancient times of the idol. A few guides out there were narrating the perfect time of visiting the temple, i.e., around 21st of March and September, when the light of the immersing sun falls directly on the face of the goddess for three days, making its view more charming. It was an end of the day and I had to rush to my place of abode for some rest and comfort. A naughtiness in mind to enjoy the night life was mingling my thought of visiting my next spot of the journey, Siddhagiri Gramjivan Museum (Kaneri math), the very next morning.
Bahubali Jain Temple Kolhapur : The Bahubali Jain Temple is located on top of a huge hill. The temple has a huge 27 feet tall statue of Bahubali. People from all over India come to visit this religious tourist location. The temple has around 400 steps and devotees climb these 400 steps to have a glimpse of the temple deity.
Every journey has its own influence on me. Though being a student, free from all the responsibilities and obligations of the family and households as of now, I had travelled to major parts of India, yet my greed to conquer the whole of it accelerates every time I visit a new place. It was a bit tough to cover the whole distance of the vacation via train, but with no options left behind, my eagerness overcame all my exhaustion. By that time I was into the land of my most-awaited destination, Kolhapur. All excited and anxious about the beauty and charm of the place, I framed and planned the routine for the whole day. Ready with my backpack along with my digital camera for some beautiful clicks, afresh in the morning, enthusiasm in my heart, and expectations on the high rise, I strolled towards the local area to get my conveyance to the spotted place, Rankala Lake Kolhapur. A famous spot for the local habitants to have a wonderful and peaceful weekend, this lake is extremely beautiful and located in the Kolhapur district. With an ease and negotiable tariff, I took a cab to reach the place. It is believed that the temple of Rangbhairav at its centre, justifies its name as well as the fame. The peculiarity lies in the fact that the lake has naturally originated after the severe earthquake in the 9th century; prior to that it was just a stone quarry, a historical place. The most enchanting view to my eyes was the ‘Shalani Palace’ to the north of the lake, a beautifully carved one. Moreover, my eyes blinked with the site of mouth-watering snacks, bhelpuri, roasted corns, ragda patties, etc., in the garden area enclosing the lake. Horse riding and boating was the undeniable part of my journey. It was a fully accomplished day out, with lots of refreshments and recreation. A few snapshots were also clicked to restore the memory of the lake. The beautiful garden view was truly entertaining and swung my heart in whirlpool. With such an outstanding beginning of the vacation, I was getting more excited to visit the next place of the tour. Almost half of the day went through with cherished moments of the Rankala Lake Kolhapur, and then it was the time to some spiritual and religious place, Mahalakshmi temple Kolhapur.
My Train Travel Journey from Chennai to Kolhapur via Bangalore - An Exhausted but Accomplished One8/7/2014 Life for me was never a soft and calm framework; rather I was always a joyful, vigorous, cheerful and enthusiastic type of girl. Right from my childhood days, I was keen to know the outer world, its varied heritage and treasures. Being a student, most of my time remains constrained to my studies and projects; still I want to live my life to lees and try to take advantage of all kinds of opportunities. So whenever I am free from the academic pressure and burden on my mind, I, without wasting any time, plan a trip out. My outing generally comprises of learning, expeditions, and achievements and off course a fun-filled entertainment. The complexities and the inferiorities of being a girl has never been a hurdle in living my life according to my own wish. And this way last vacation, I made my mind set up for a wonderful and exploring train travel journey from Chennai to Kolhapur via Bangalore by Bangalore Special. With all the excitement and anxiety, I started my journey from the Chennai Central. As there was no direct route to the land of Kolhapur, I decided to go through a journey via Bangalore. It was a bit tough to maintain timings as a minute delay in reaching Bangalore junction could have spoiled the complete plan of the journey. I had a scheduled train from the same junction to Shahumharaj with a time difference of 15 minutes exactly. Not thinking much about the consequences I boarded the Bangalore Special from Chennai Central. My mind was lingering to the next part of my journey i.e. to reach Bangalore safely and obviously on time. The people around me and the other natural activities running outside the train were not at all noticed. But with all my prayers and strong determination, the train landed me to the Bangalore city safely on time. Without any delay I rushed to catch the next train of my vacation, which escorted me to Shahumharaj station. It was Rani Chennamma train No 16589. It was a long journey and the reservation of good seats made my journey comfortable. After my dinner done, I stepped to the land of dreams of the various excitements at Kolhapur.
The very next morning, slightly exhausted with the travelling in the train with such a tight schedule, I reached to my preferred destination Shahumharaj. I reached Kolhapur after boarding Kolhapur express train from the Shahumharaj station. My train travel journey by the Bangalore Special and Rani Chennamma was actually quite tiring and I accommodated myself for the peace and comfort in a nearby hotel. Chowmahalla Palace, Hyderabad : Chowmahalla Palace of Hyderabad is an amazing palace built during the reign of Nizams in India. It is a beautiful white structure. The unique palaces are common tourist destinations. You can enjoy clicking pictures and photographs here. I loved the visit as it made me relive a different era of history.
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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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