Panhala

 tourism, village, fortification, hill station, taluka headquarter

Tehsil Panhala, District Kolhapur, Maharashtra.

Panhala is a scenic hill station (3,177 feet above sea level) 18 km northwest of Kolhapur, in Maharashtra, India.

The history of Kille (Fort) Panhala, किल्ले पन्हाळा, is traced back to the times of Raja Bhoj in the 11th century.

It is blessed by the stay of the Great Shivaji Maharaj for over 500 days of his lifetime.

After the the British overpowered the Satara throne of the elder son of the Maratha empire founder, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, his yonger daughter-in-law Ranragini Tararani came down to Kolhapur and established her throne there.

Panhala was the Kolhapur State Capital until 1782, after which the capital was shifted to Kolhapur city proper.

Though small in area, it is blessed with scenic beauty and historical monuments of great archeological values and today is a tourist attraction.