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Panhala Hills is
located South of Maharashtra State just 20 kms. from the famous city
Kolhapur. Kolhapur best known for it's historical Mahalaxmi Temple, Rankala
lake, New Palace Mueseum, Town Hall and near by places such as Jotiba
Temple, Radhanagri Dam, Dajipur Santuary, Vishalgad, Kalammawadi Dam,
Narshimawadi Datta Mandir, Bahubali and also famous for its Leather foot
wear, Engineering Industries and Sugar Mills is a small city situated on the
Pune-Bangalore High way.
The verdant hills, the terraced farms and the omnipresent mist bestow
Panhala with a unique allure, a mystic. The aerial roots of the banyan trees
that flank the road form a beautiful archway, a prelude to the royal remains
of the fort to come. Situated at a magnificent height of 3177 feet above sea
level, Panhala commands a panoramic and awesome view of the valley below.
GENERAL
INFORMATION
Location:
Kolhapur, Maharashtra.
 Main Attraction:
Panhala Fort.
Speciality:
Radhanagari Sanctuary, Jyotiba Hill And Various Temples.
Best Time:
The climate is delightfully cool at the altitude of 978 m from sea level.
October to May is the best time to visit.
SIGHT SEEING
While at Panhala you must visit Ambarkhana. Ambarkhana was built by the
Marathas and housed the administrative section, the palace, the mint, and
the granary. Titled Ganga, Jamuna, and Saraswati, the granaries could store
as much as 25,000 khandis of grain. Since the soil was not suitable for
agriculture, the provisions had to be stocked. Then there is the Teen
Darwaja i.e. the three important gates to gain access to the fort.
Another major attraction at Panhala is the Sajja Kothi that was built by the
Mohammedans in 1008 AD. There is a very interesting anecdote attached to
this monument. It is said that when Siddi Johar, a formidable Bijapur 
General, attacked Panhala, Shivaji tricked the general by escaping from the
window of Sajja Kothi while a brave stalwart Shiva Kashid disguised as
Shivaji combated the wrath of the general.
Shivaji, a religious devotee, did not undertake any perils without paying
obeisance to the goddess. The Ambabai temple stands vigil to this, which is
another, must visit at Panhala.
While at Panhala you may also visit the Sambhaji temple. The Sambhaji temple
was built in memory of Sambhaji, the first ruler of Kolhapur.
The Someshwar tank of Panhala too is worth visiting. The tank came into
existence due to the quarrying of stones that were required for the
construction of the fort wall. There is a very well camouflaged well with a
three-storied structure on top, Andhar Bav. This was cloistered to prevent
any kind of water poisoning by the enemy.
The Nayakini Sajja at Panhala manifests the intelligent warfare strategy
used by the Marathas to dupe the enemies. The Nayakini Sajja has been very
strategically located near one of the corners of the fort to conceal a deep
ravine in between. When the enemies attacked from that corner, they would
actually climb over the make-believe corner of the fort to accede the
Nayakini Sajja and in the endeavor fall into the deep ravine.
HOW TO REACH
By Air
Nearest airport is Kolhapur at 20-km.
By Rail
Nearest Railway station is Kolhapur at 18-km on South Central Railway. One can
take the Sahyadri Express train or the Mahalaxmi Express train on any day from
the Mumbai-Victora Terminus to Kolhapur.
By Road
Bombay-Panhala 428-km via Kolhapur and Kolhapur-Panhala is just 18-km. There are
regular buses and luxury coaches that run between Kolhapur and the Panhala Fort.
Panhala is located at a distance of 20-km off the Kolhapur-Ratnagiri highway. A
direct drive from Mumbai can get one to Panhala in 8 hours.
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