Kolhapur District is located in the southern part of
Maharashtra. Its headquarters is at Kolhapur city, situated on the banks of river Panchganga. Kolhapur, also known as 'Dakshin Kashi', is the seat of goddess
Mahalakshmi and one of the
shaktipithas mentioned in Indian mythology. Silaharas, Yadavas,
Rashtrakutas and
Chalukyas ruled Kolhapur in the medieval times. With an area of 3,165 sq km, it has a population of about 1 million. Kolhapur District is an important center of
Marathi film industry and also famous for tobacco and leather chappals. Rice, millets, sugarcane, tobacco and cotton are the major crops. Kolhapur comes under sugarcane belt. The district receives an annual rainfall of over 1,900 mm.
Mahalaxmi Temple, New Palace (Chhatrapati Sahu Museum), Town Hall Museum, Old Palace/ Bhavani Mandap, Binkhambi Ganesh Mandir, Rankala Lake, Shalini Palace, Tryambuli Devi and Shankaracharya Math are the major tourist attractions.
