Panhala

"Panhala is a hill station?" was the first question that came to my mind when my dad told me that we will be staying at Panhala during our visit to Kolhapur. I had always thought that Panhala was a fort and I was not completely wrong, Panhala is a city within the fort founded by Shivaji Maharaj. Panhala has a great historic significance and is in fact the smallest city in Maharashta.

Panhala is one of those hill stations which have not yet lost the charm and simplicity of being a 'hill station' to commercialization. It has no 'Mall Road' or local market for an outing in the evening, but that is not necessary as the place is immensely beautiful. But local goods (especially the famous Kolhapuri chappals) can be purchased from the market at Kolhapur. There are a lot of decent resorts and bed and breakfasts available at reasonable prices for a comfortable stay.

When we had gone to Panhala during the rains, it was all foggy and just so beautiful. At night when we went for a drive, the old trees, winding roads and the fog made up for a perfect location to shoot a thriller. Places worth a visit are the places of interest within the fort , the panoramic view of the valley below and the Jyotiba temple nearby. Important places to visit in Kolhapur are the Mahalaxmi temple, Narsoba wadi, Rankala lake and the local market. I also remember visiting a jaggery factory watching how fresh jaggery is made from sugarcane as a kid. 

We had also further gone down to the Konkan region which happens to be my native place and I never knew that it was so beautiful and lush green. I intend to visit again, especially  visit Tarkarli and Sindhudurg in Konkan the next time. They  are both said to be really beautiful.