Travel – A pilgrimage…… Part 1 (MUMBAI-KOLHAPUR-BELGAUM)
For me and my wife, traveling has become a religion. This is very satisfying because it also gives us a spiritual connection. Did you also realize that in order to visit exotic places rich in history, all you have to do is visit the local religious sites, which inevitably are located in the most beautiful and picturesque places. Apart from its natural beauty, you can also find some enlightening stories. And this time, deciding to descend to Mangalore and avoid NH17, we decided to descend a bit to Kolhapur, where the god Mahalakshmi, also known as Ambabai, resides in the heart of the city. We're going out. Bandra will beat the traffic at 5:30 on a cool January morning. The weather and open roads were perfect for street food and we were soon cruising along the Mumbai-Pune highway. We approached the second food court on the highway where Mae was calling for attention and we decided to satisfy our hunger and stopped for breakfast vadapav and tea. The atmosphere is good but the food is average. I thought the first food place was definitely the better of the two because we noticed that there were a lot of buses and cars parked there as I hate queuing for food. Pulling over, we are back on the road and not wanting to miss out on the fun of driving in the beautiful weather. Soon the Kolhapur exit appeared and there we asked for directions to a famous temple. The instructions are clear. Turn right, go under the flyover, enter Kolhapur at the welcome gate, then go straight to the third estate at the roundabout. This statue is Shahu Maharaj where you turn left and bingo the temple. 
The index is also pretty good. There are parking restrictions around the temple, so just follow the "Pilgrim Parking" sign and park in the designated parking lot for Rs.10. The temple is only a five minute walk away. We parked at 1130 after traveling 386 km. 
This temple has three entrances and you can choose one. There are shoe storage lockers at all entrances which charge Rs 1/- per pair. As it is Tuesday, worshipers are in large numbers but orderly as the temple makes good arrangements for regular darshan for all. Of course, you barely look and lower your head and are encouraged to come forward so that all devotees can have 'darshan'. The whole process, from waiting in line to being greeted and then leaving, took us only fifteen minutes. 
Since photography is prohibited inside the temple, some are taken outside. 
On the outer wall of the temple there are some very intricate carvings. 
The top of the temple is freshly painted and protrudes from the colorful stone structure. 
On the way back, we came across a monument with an image of an athlete. It surprised me because it was the first time I saw an Indian sportsman being revered and respected by the cricketers. 
Below is a plaque honoring all the Kolhapur Olympics. Now it's time to enjoy Kolhapur's famous spicy food and as recommended by some foodie friends we decided to go to Opal restaurant for lunch. 
On the way to the parking lot, we saw a new school and campus housed in a heritage building that looked like a fortress. Wow! 
On foot, we returned to see a residential area that looks like history. Kolhapur is undoubtedly a city rich in history. To reach Opal, we were told to take the highway back to Tara Rani Chowk, where we would turn right again at the third roundabout. And on our left is a private house called "Opaal". We were received very politely and woke up to our usual non-vegetarian thali accompanied by a delicious 'sol kadi'. The veg thali is also good. This fancy restaurant cost us hundreds of rupees. Well used Good food and excellent service. Back on the highway to Belgaum, our favorite stop. We checked in at Hotel Ramdev at 1530 with indicator 501 and since we had an afternoon to walk around we did. Read about the famous Belgaum fort and it seems a few kms away from the hotel. So after enjoying a cup of hot tea, we left for the fort at 17.00. It's a straight walk from the hotel to Rayanna area in Sungoli where you turn left and the fort is near the main bus stop. Inside the gates of the fort is the military Durga temple. 
The fort also has a church and mosque, in addition to many government and military offices, which appear to be occupied by military forces. All the religious buildings in the castle appear to be run by the military and are open to everyone. Take a leisurely stroll to the hotel for a delicious South Indian dinner, and rest early for a refreshing evening. Depart the next morning for the purpose of attracting Agumbe.
The index is also pretty good. There are parking restrictions around the temple, so just follow the "Pilgrim Parking" sign and park in the designated parking lot for Rs.10. The temple is only a five minute walk away. We parked at 1130 after traveling 386 km. 
This temple has three entrances and you can choose one. There are shoe storage lockers at all entrances which charge Rs 1/- per pair. As it is Tuesday, worshipers are in large numbers but orderly as the temple makes good arrangements for regular darshan for all. Of course, you barely look and lower your head and are encouraged to come forward so that all devotees can have 'darshan'. The whole process, from waiting in line to being greeted and then leaving, took us only fifteen minutes. 
Since photography is prohibited inside the temple, some are taken outside. 
On the outer wall of the temple there are some very intricate carvings. 
The top of the temple is freshly painted and protrudes from the colorful stone structure. 
On the way back, we came across a monument with an image of an athlete. It surprised me because it was the first time I saw an Indian sportsman being revered and respected by the cricketers. 
Below is a plaque honoring all the Kolhapur Olympics. Now it's time to enjoy Kolhapur's famous spicy food and as recommended by some foodie friends we decided to go to Opal restaurant for lunch. 
On the way to the parking lot, we saw a new school and campus housed in a heritage building that looked like a fortress. Wow! 
On foot, we returned to see a residential area that looks like history. Kolhapur is undoubtedly a city rich in history. To reach Opal, we were told to take the highway back to Tara Rani Chowk, where we would turn right again at the third roundabout. And on our left is a private house called "Opaal". We were received very politely and woke up to our usual non-vegetarian thali accompanied by a delicious 'sol kadi'. The veg thali is also good. This fancy restaurant cost us hundreds of rupees. Well used Good food and excellent service. Back on the highway to Belgaum, our favorite stop. We checked in at Hotel Ramdev at 1530 with indicator 501 and since we had an afternoon to walk around we did. Read about the famous Belgaum fort and it seems a few kms away from the hotel. So after enjoying a cup of hot tea, we left for the fort at 17.00. It's a straight walk from the hotel to Rayanna area in Sungoli where you turn left and the fort is near the main bus stop. Inside the gates of the fort is the military Durga temple. 
The fort also has a church and mosque, in addition to many government and military offices, which appear to be occupied by military forces. All the religious buildings in the castle appear to be run by the military and are open to everyone. Take a leisurely stroll to the hotel for a delicious South Indian dinner, and rest early for a refreshing evening. Depart the next morning for the purpose of attracting Agumbe.
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