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India has one of the most beautiful sightseeing spots where you could find thousands of tourists come and enjoy beautiful places. Among the most exotic locales in India, sometimes you miss venturing into the most not so famous places. One of the not so famous places in Panhala.
Panhala is a city about 18 km from the northwest of Kolhapur in the state of Maharashtra. The city is known mainly for its Panhala fort which is one of the favorite tourist destinations. Most tourists do not know about the places to see at Panhala as the city is being got known to the outside world because of its various locations available.
Panhala Fort, Kolhapur
Another major attraction is the Panhala fort which used to be the kingdom of Marathas. It is also the fort where Maratha king Shivaji stayed and ruled. The fort does remain as a monument and is a tourist attraction.
The doors at the fort are of triangular in shape and are about 7 Km long with a Dargah. The lavish architecture and its inner large rooms do make sightseeing at Panhala a worth to visit. You could even find various monuments which are ruined at present within the fort.
Jyotiba Temple, Kolhapur
Panhala does have various temples and the most prominent of them is the Jyothiba temple which is said to 3124 feet above the sea level. The deity that is worshiped here is Dattatreya who is said to be an incarnation of three gods – Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu.
Sajja Kothi, Panhala
Another sightseeing at Panhala that is exciting is the view at Sajja Kothi. It is said that Chattrapathi Shivaji had made a great escape from this Kothi. This Kothi was built during the Mohammedan reign. It is basically a three-storied building which has a various cell for the prisoners. Each cell has its own story and some of them do have a sad story behind it.
Mahalaxmi Temple, Kolhapur
The Shri Mahalaxmi Temple of Kolhapur is one of the Shakti Peethas. It is visited by millions of pilgrims from all over India. Mahalaxmi Temple is one of the high important spiritual centers of Maharashtra.
Parashar Caves, Panhala
Parashar caves are one of the sightseeing places to be visited. There is a story behind it as it is said that a sage named Parashar who had lived in the caves here. You could get to go inside the caves and explore too. Various books regarding these caves have been mentioned by various authors and even poetries have been written on them.
Sunset Point, Panhala
North to the Panhala Fort is the sunset point. There is a small fort and on the top of the fort, you could get to view the beautiful sunset. The visibility is much clearer too. Most tourists would definitely not miss this place where you get to have the best sightseeing.
Having a tour guide can make the places to see at Panhala a memorable one. A registered tour guide can show you the places and even tell you about the history behind the city. For stay, there are various well-known hotels that can give you homely treatment even at hotels.
The stay is an affordable one and you could even find good restaurants inside the hotels. Being a small city does provide a good well stay and it can make your sightseeing and holiday a worth too.