PANHALA FORT

OVERVIEW

District : Kolhapur
Height above sea level : 3177 feet
Difficulty rating : Simple
Base village : Panhala
Google Map Co-ordinate : 16.82°N 74.12°E? / 16.82; 74.12
Approx. time to reach the top : 30 mins from base village
Best Season to visit : Anytime
Duration: 1 day
Hill Range: Kolhapur

How To Reach

One can reach Kolhapur by Bus/Rail, Panhala is about 20 km from Kolhapur. There are continuous bus services from Kolhapur to Panhala, or also autorickshaw services are available.

Place to Stay / Eat

Food and stay is not an issue as MTDC offers rooms and tents of old style architecture, which gives a great feeling of staying in a royal place.

Several private hotels can also be found.

Places of Interest

The fort covers a vast area having huge boundary walls of over 7 km in length and a steep slope beneath. Three magnificent double-walled gates protect the entrance of the fort. There is a large amberkhana (granary) inside the fort, which has the capacity of containing 25,000 khandis of grains.

Palace - Maratha Queen Tarabai stayed in this palace. There is a beautiful Temple here. Now, the Municipal Corporation office, Panhala High school and military boys’ hostel is situated there.

Sajja Kothi - where Sambhaji was imprisoned, Ambabaji Temple - where Shivaji used to seek blessings before venturing on expeditions, Pavankhind - where Baji Prabhu laid down his life to cover Shivaji's escape, Someshwar Temple are also worth to visit. This place is an ideal for trekking as well.

Rajdindi - This is a tough way which travels down from the fort. Shivaji Maharaj managed to escape this way during the siege of Panhalgad, and went to Vishalgad, which is 45 miles away.

Ambarkhana - This was initially the Balle-Killa or the citadel on the fort. Nearby Ambarkhana is a Khandak. Here there are 3 buildings named Ganga, Yamuna, and Sarasvati, which were used for storing grains. Vari, Nagli, and Rice were stored here. Approximately 25 thousand Khandi food grain could be stored here.

Teen Darwaza - Teen Darwaza, literally means three doors. Teen Darwaza is a mammoth entrance consists of three consecutive gates on the western walls, of the Panhala fort. It was through these gates, the British entered Panhala.

The well situated in the corner of Teen Darwaza, played a remarkable role in dealing with the enemies. It was through this pond that messages were sent to the enemies. It is quite amazing to hear the way by which this well was effectively used in conveying messages.

One of the important places in the cultural heritage, Teen Darwaza is a must see tourist spot in the Panhala region.

Lake Somale - Near the market on the fort is this big lake. On the lake side is a beautiful Temple of Someshwar. Here Shivaji Maharaj and his associates offered 1000 Chafa flowers.

Samadhi of Ramchandra Amatya - As we move from Someshwar Lake we come across 2 Samadhi. One is of Honorable Ramchandra Amatya and the second is of their wife.

Rede Palace - A still further way takes you to the Rede Palace. Initially it was a stable for horses, but later cattle were kept there. So it is called as Rede Palace.

Sambhaji Temple - Ahead of Rede Palace is Sambhaji Temple, which is actually a small citadel.

Dharmakothi - Near the Sambhaji Temple, we can see a spacious structure which is recognized as Dhramakothi. Her grocery was donated in charity.

Mahalaxmi Temple - Stepping out from the Palace, near the Nehru Garden, this is the oldest structure on the fort. It is almost 1000 years old. It was the deity of Bhoj King Gandaritya.

Andarbav - This is a 3 storey monument. There is a well in the base, and a secret way to escape from the fort.

On The Way and Beyond

The yet to be explored hill station does not offer any of the conventional activities of a similar picnic spot. It is, however, a perfect place to relax.

Parashar caves :

Parashar cavesPanhala was traditionally considered the residence of Maharishi Parashara. The Karvir or Kolhapur Puran, a modern (1730) compilation, mentions Panhala as Pannagalay (home of serpents). In old inscriptions the name appears as Pranlak and Padmanal.These are supposed to be the caves where the sage Parashar lived. Moropant, an 18th century Marathi poet, wrote most of his work in these caves. These caves are mentioned in the Karvir Puraan as tirths (holy water).

Someshwar Tank 
A major site to be visited here is the Someshwar Tank, which is the after effect of the quarrying of stones for the construction of the majestic Panhala fort. It makes oneself astonished to see a secret well on the top of a three-storied structure. Both the tank and the well show excellence in engineering and are quite remarkable.

Botanical Garden 
The Empress Botanical Gardens in Panhala and its large lawns, tall trees, cool shades and the quite calm ambiance makes this botanical garden a hot spot of the picnickers. The rambling gardens are well maintained by the forest department. The arched gateway of the old fort serves as the entrance to the green lawns of these gardens. A scaled model of the old fort, exhibited near the entrance, is interesting to watch.

Visitors are having another option for a refreshing evening walk in the magnificient Peshwa Park where the surroundings are more colorful with food stalls and kiddy carnivals. Those who prefer to be in solitude can take their way to the serene Bund Gardens, which is on the banks of the Mulla River. It is so quite and calm that one will not be disturbed in their loneliness. The park also has the facilities like evening boat rides and horse rides which helps to get an entire vision of the charming park.

The gardens open from 7 am - 7 pm everyday. Mottled with lovely tropical trees and beautiful plant varieties, the botanical gardens of Panhala are the best place to spend the leisure time.

Jyotiba Temple 
Jyotiba Temple is located at an altitude of 3124 ft above the sea level in the Panhala Range in Maharashtra. The temple is dedicated to Jyotiba (also Dattatreya), the incarnation of the divine trio. The interesting myth behind this holy shrine is that the three gods - Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva fused together in the form of Jyotiba to destroy the wicked Ratnasur.

The major attraction of this temple is the large fair conducted on the full moon night during the months of Chaithra and Vaishakh.

A unique shrine that is the abode of the three major gods of Hindu religion, Jyothiba temple fills the minds of the devotees with a pleasant feeling.

Sunset Point 
Located on the northern end of the magnificient Panhala fort, Sunset Point presents a breath taking view to the visitor. A hot spot of the tourists, this vantage point is located on a small tower on the northern portion of the fort wall.

When the sun sets in the western horizon, it makes a fabulous view on the western wall of the fort and one can see this enchanting vision from the sunset point. Normally one can see the sun sets in the west only on the seashore. But seeing this natural splendor on a historic monument is a wonderful experience and that is what sunset point offers to the tourist.