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Cradled in the lap of the Sahyadri mountain range is this small yet scenic hill station, Panhala. Panhala in the monsoons is almost
ethereal -- a verdant environment, strong gushing winds, thunderous
rains and mellow fruitfulness -- nature in all its splendor.
"Mom!"
I can see the wall of the fort from here, shouted my 8-year-old son
Mihir, excitedly from the balcony of the hotel room. I just turned
around from my unpacking and opened the window. Lo and behold! The
clouds were floating into the room and there was no sight of the
fort, it was enveloped in a thick mist. This was Panhala, our annual
sojourn to an unknown destination.
Panhala
is in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra.
The
way to Panhala is through Shirwal, Satara, Karad and Kolhapur and is
extremely scenic. The verdant hills, the terraced farms and the
omnipresent mist bestow this place with a unique allure, a mystic.
The aerial roots of the banyan trees that flank the road form a
beautiful archway, a prelude to the royal remains of the fort to
come. Situated at a magnificent height of 3177 feet above sea level,
it commands a panoramic and awesome view of the valley below. The
climate is salubrious throughout the year except July and August. We
visited Panhala in mid June when it was drenched in the monsoons. It
was like a reverie!
Panhala
is steeped in history. Panhala the hill station is situated inside
the Panhala fort. The ruins of the fort flank the entire village. The
history of this fort dates back as early as the 3rd century BC.
Evidence has been found to prove that originally a Naga community
ruled the fort. The name of the hill station roots back to the glory
of the Naga regime when it was named Pannagalaya (Pannag
meaning snakes hence, an abode of the snakes). The fort has seen
successors like the Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas, Shilahars, Bhojas and
Yadavs. In 1052 AD King Bhoja II built the fort as it is today. It
was also known by the name of Brahmagiri and when the Muslims
ruled over it, they named it Shahanbi Durg. It was only in
1657 that Chhatrapati Shivaji conquered the fort and gave it
the present name. In 1710, Panhala was crowned as the capital of
Kolhapur. Today the natural beauty and the picturesque location of
the fort lure tourists from all over Maharashtra and other parts of
India.
We
reached Panhala in the afternoon when the mists had shrouded the fort
only to be followed by strong gushing winds that lashed at us,
bringing with them a nip in the air and continual rains. One could
feel the fury of the rain and the wind gods unleashing here. The
sheer force of the wind and the thunderous discord of the rain were
awesome. The vegetation competing for primacy on the valley floor
swayed in the rain as if expressing its gratitude to the rain for
endowing so much fertility. As the dim veil of darkness descended
upon us, we prayed for a glimpse of the sun the next day to enable us
to do some sight seeing.
The
next morning was foggy with slight drizzle but the fresh breeze and
the dew pearled foliage beckoned us with ardor. A flicker of the
sun's rays peeping from behind the clouds assured us of some glimpses
of the fort. We first visited the Ambarkhana. The Ambarkhana
was built by the Marathas and housed the administrative section, the
palace, the mint and the granary. Titled Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati,
the granaries could store as much as 25,000 khandis of grain.
since the soil on the range was laterite and not suitable for
agriculture, the provisions had to be stocked. The Teen Darwaja
were the three important gates to gain access to the fort. The
Mohamedans in 1008 AD. built the Sajja Kothi. There is a very
interesting anecdote attached to this monument. It is said that when
Siddi Johar, a formidable Bijapur General, attacked Panhala, Shivaji
tricked the general by escaping from the window of Sajja Kothi while
a brave stalwart Shiva Kashid disguised as Shivaji combated the wrath
of the general.
Shivaji,
a religious devotee, did not undertake any perils without paying
obeisance to the goddess. The Ambabai temple stands vigil to
this. There is a Sambhaji temple that was built to commemorate
the memory of Sambhaji, the first ruler of Kolhapur. The Someshwar
tank came into existence due to the quarrying of stones that were
required for the construction of the fort wall. There is a very well
comouflaged well with a three storied structure on top, Andhar
Bav. This was cloistered to prevent any kind of water poisoning
by the enemy. The Nayakini Sajja manifests the intelligent
warfare strategy used by the Marathas to dupe the enemies. The
Nayakini Sajja has been very strategically located near one of
the corners of the fort to conceal a deep ravine in between. When the
enemies attacked from that corner, they would actually climb over the
make-believe corner of the fort to accede the Nayakini Sajja
and in the endeavor fall into the deep ravine. Having soaked in the
historical ambience, we now marveled at this stupendous amalgamation
of history and nature.
The
rains had painted Panhala green. The vegetation here includes
innumerable fruit trees, jamuns, pomegranates, jackfruit and
many medicinal herbs. It's reclusive, quiet village is ideal for a
relaxed vacation, away from the smothering swarm and the soaring
mercury. The terraced rice fields in the valley below, the clouds
playing truant -- sometimes condescending to give way to the
breathtaking sight and sometimes marring the splendor of this ideal
getaway, add to the mystic of this natural vista; beckoning us to
return soon.
Fact
File
Panhala is in the Kolhapur
district of Maharashtra. It is 22 km to the north-west of Kolhapur
on the Kolhapur-Ratnagiri road at a height of 3177 meters above sea
level.
The closest airport is the
Kolhapur airport that is 35 km from Panhala. Panhala is 416 km from
Mumbai and about 200 km from Pune. The Kolhapur railway station is
only 26 km from Panhala.
State Transport buses ply
between Kolhapur and Panhala every 2 hours during the day.
The ideal climate is from
October to December although tourists visit till May. The
temperature ranges from 78-90 degree F in summer to 68-78 degree F
in the rainy season.
Accommodation is available in
primarily three hotels --Hotel Hill Top, Hotel Valley View and the
MTDC resort. Other hotels are smaller. The tariff at the Hotel
Hilltop is about Rs. 600-1000 per room in the off season and Rs.
800-1200 during the season. The food is included in this tariff. The
numbers to reach for reservation are 02328-35054, 35354. The booking
can be done from Mumbai or Pune as well and the nos. are 4443486 and
433688 respectively.
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