Maharashtra’s Pride: Chhatrapati Shahu Palace Kolhapur; A Memorable Trip!

About the palace:

Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Palace, also known as the New Palace, is situated at the heart of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India. The palace was constructed during 1877 – 1884 era. It is a beautiful building with historical importance and was designed by British architect Charles Mant. Build in black, polished stone, the ancient building is eight-angled and has a tower in the middle, with a huge clock. At present, the top floors of the palace are the residence of Shree Shahu Maharaj’s heirs and the ground floor is converted into a museum.

The Chhatrapati Shahu Palace is surrounded by a garden which is spread across a large area with a striking fountain. Visitors can hang out and chill in the garden midst nature for a rejuvenating time. Although, Photography is Strictly Prohibited inside the Museum, people take the liberty to click pictures and selfies in the lawn area. There is a must visit zoo, a scenic lake, a wrestling ground and a primary school sited in the surrounding area.

Inside the Museum:

The Chhatrapati Shahu Palace Museum attracts thousands of tourists and visitors due to its historical wealth.

• The Museum has a fascinating collection of ornaments, jewellery, clothes, games and other belongings of the royal family such as silver elephant saddles.
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s cap.
• Other major attraction is the family tree wall where the history and family tree of many royal families is provided. For example: The family tree of the Bhosales! It was a super proud moment for me when I also found the family tree of the Pawars’ (Dhareche Pawar), the family to which I belong 🙂
• One large room is dedicated to showcase the weapons used by Maharaj and his army. There are various types of ancient guns, swords and other armaments put up for display.
• One room has a ‘Darbar’ like set up.
• A letter from the British Viceroy and Governor General of India is the other memorabilia.
• One section is dedicated to the furniture and several equipments used by the royal family.
• There is a large section of the palace where one can see stuffed wild animals like Tigers, Tiger heads, Wild Dog, Sloth Bear, staring Wild Buffalo, Lion, Black Panther, Wild Boar, Black Buck to name a few.
• A weird thing that I encountered was that there were tables, sticks, and trays made up of animal body parts.
• There are many other noteworthy things such as one of Augrangazeb’s sword, paintings, and books of historical importance, at the museum.

Our Visit:

I was in Kolhapur at my elder sister’s place for vacations when I visited the Chhatrapati Shahu Palace. It was a sudden plan and I visited it along with my family. It was indeed a fun and a memorable trip where I learnt many new things.

Behind the scenes:

I and my younger bro along with my niece were having a fun time learning about all the historical stuff. We used to point out and make all the other family members see the things we thought were interesting! 😀 One thing that I found bizarre was the section where there were all the things that were made out of animal parts. There were tables made up of deer legs, and trays made of skulls, sticks made up of vertebrates of tigers and other strange stuff. I am a very sensitive person so that was kind of heartbreaking for me and also for my bro.

Tourist Leaflet: New Palace Kolhapur

How to reach the Chhatrapati Shahu Palace:

• Distance from Kolhapur Railway station and Bus stand is about 2-3 Kms.
• Distance from Rankala Stand is about 3 Kms.
• From Mahalaxmi Temple about 3-4 Kms.

Best time of the year to visit: One can visit this museum anytime throughout the year. It will be pleasant during the winter months i.e. from November to February due to the favourable climate.

Visiting Hours: 9:30 am to 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm (Tuesday to Sunday), Museum is closed on Mondays.

Entry Fee:

Adult: INR 18

Child: INR 12

P.S. Thank you Didi and Jiju for this memorable trip 🙂

Hope you enjoyed reading the post and learning about the New Palace of Kolhapur. Thank you so much for all your support and comments, they make me happy !! 🙂 Also, a lot of you have been asking me about how to subscribe to my website. You can SUBSCRIBE or sign up for FREE regular email updates about articles through a box provided on the top right corner of every page. Thanks again!!

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