Temples in Kolhapur

Mahalaxmi (Ambabai)

The Mahalaxmi temple is one of the most important goddess shrines in India and is counted among the Shakti Peethas. The oldest parts are usually dated to the 7th century, in the Chalukya period, and the walls are dense with carving in black stone. The goddess is a black stone image about three feet tall, crowned with a five-headed snake. The temple is managed by the Paschim Maharashtra Devasthan Management Committee.

Rules at the gate

The temple has a dress code: no shorts, short skirts, sleeveless tops or cropped T-shirts. Photography is not allowed inside, and photos of the goddess are strictly forbidden. Leave shoes at the stands outside. Queues are longest on Fridays, holidays and through Navratri; early morning on a weekday is the calmest time. Timings change around festivals, so check locally.

Kirnotsav, the festival of rays

Twice a year, the rays of the setting sun travel through the main entrance and across the halls to reach the goddess. This happens over about three days around 31 January to 2 February and around 9 to 11 November. On the first day the light touches her feet, then her waist, then her full figure. Cloud can spoil it, and the dates can shift by a day, so treat them as a guide. The temple is packed at sunset on these days.

Jyotiba

Jyotiba, at Wadi Ratnagiri about 18 km north-west of the city, is a cluster of black-stone temples on a hill about 3,100 feet up. The main shrine dates from 1730. Jyotiba is worshipped as a form of Shiva, and devotees throw pink gulal, so the whole complex is stained pink. Sundays are busy. The big fair is at the Chaitra full moon, usually in late March or April, when pilgrims carry tall decorated poles called sasan kathi up the hill.

Other shrines

Bhavani Mandap, next to Ambabai, holds a shrine to Tulja Bhavani inside the old palace courtyard. Rankala Lake has a small temple on an island and a large Nandi on its bank. Panhala has shrines inside the fort walls.