Gudi Padwa is the Maharashtrian New Year celebrated with great joy in Kolhapur. On this day, people raise a “Gudi” — a decorated pole with bright cloth, mango leaves, flowers, and a copper vessel — outside their homes signifying prosperity and victory. Families clean their houses, prepare special festive food, and wear new clothes. The city feels vibrant with traditional music and cultural gatherings as people welcome the new year with happiness and good wishes
Ganeshotsav celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha with great festivities, devotion, and community celebrations throughout Kolhapur. The festival includes the installation of Ganesha idols in homes and public pandals, devotional singing, and elaborate immersion processions once the festivities conclude. In recent years, Kolhapur has seen vibrant yet culturally rooted displays during Ganesh Utsav.
Ganeshotsav (Ganesh Festival) Read More »
This agricultural festival celebrates the bullocks and oxen that help farmers throughout the year. In Kolhapur, decorated bullocks are paraded at locations like Panchaganga Ghat, accompanied by music and traditional aarti. Families and children participate joyfully in the procession of cattle and games.
Bail (Bull) Festival / Pola Read More »
Rathotsav, or the Chariot Festival, is celebrated at the Mahalaxmi Temple in Kolhapur where the idol of Goddess Mahalaxmi (Ambabai) is placed on a beautifully decorated chariot (ratha) and taken through the streets in a grand Nagar Pradakshina (procession). Devotees offer flowers and prayers along the route, and the city lights up with spirituality and tradition.
Rathotsav at Mahalaxmi Temple Read More »
Royal Dasara in Kolhapur is one of the most grand and culturally rich festivals in the region. Rooted in the princely traditions of Kolhapur, the celebrations include colourful processions with decorated elephants and horses, cultural performances, warrior costumes, and religious ceremonies. The royal family participates traditionally at Dasara Chowk, where palanquins of deities like Mahalaxmi and Tuljabhavani are taken out in procession. This festival has been recognized as a major state festival by the Maharashtra government
Royal Dasara (Shahi Dasara) Read More »
A viral AI-generated image and video of a “tiger roaming Kolhapur” spread fear recently, prompting a cybercrime investigation. CCTV and forest department checks confirmed there was no real sighting. The incident underscores the rise of fake content and the importance of digital vigilance.
AI-Generated Tiger Image Scam Causes Panic (Viral) Read More »
Voting for Kolhapur Municipal Corporation is underway today from morning till evening with strict security measures. Police squads and cyber monitoring teams have been activated, and checkpoints are enforcing mobile and camera restrictions near polling booths to ensure a peaceful vote
Kolhapur Voting Today with Tight Security Read More »
Deputy CM Eknath Shinde addressed election rallies across Sangli and Kolhapur, actively campaigning for the upcoming Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls. He focused on regional development, employment, tourism and agriculture while engaging with party workers and supporters in multiple Kolhapur towns.
Shinde Campaigns in Kolhapur for ZP Polls Read More »
The sudden death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28, 2026, has sent shockwaves through Maharashtra’s political landscape, leading to an immediate three-day period of state mourning. As reported by Pudhari, all government offices and educational institutions remained closed as a mark of respect. The tragedy occurred near Baramati when his private aircraft crashed during a landing attempt in poor visibility, claiming the lives of the leader and his staff. His last rites are being performed today with full state honours in his home turf of Baramati, attended by top national and state leaders.Politically, the impact is most severe for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which now faces a sudden leadership vacuum. According to analysis by Sarkarnama, Pawar was the central force holding his faction together and was the primary architect of their role within the Mahayuti alliance. His absence raises urgent questions about succession, with focus shifting toward his wife, Sunetra Pawar, and his sons to maintain the party’s stability. There is also widespread speculation regarding a potential emotional realignment or merger with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) faction during this period of grief.
Impact of Ajit Pawar’s Death Read More »
The Kolhapur Zilla Parishad (ZP) and Panchayat Samiti elections, set for February 5, 2026, represent a critical battleground for rural political supremacy in Western Maharashtra. Local papers like Pudhari report a massive surge in candidates, with 907 nomination papers filed for 68 Zilla Parishad seats and over 1,500 applications for 136 Panchayat Samiti seats. This high volume of contestants reflects the intense local ambitions of second- and third-generation political families who see these seats as essential stepping stones to state-level leadership.The political landscape is uniquely complex because the state-level Mahayuti alliance—comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP—is not contesting as a unified front in most rural pockets. Instead, according to reports in Lokmat, these parties have entered into “friendly contests” against one another. This internal friction allows local heavyweights to flex their individual muscles, leading to multi-cornered fights in almost every ward. Meanwhile, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), led by Congress stalwart Satej Patil, is aiming to capitalize on this division to regain the rural dominance it previously held.
Zilla Parishad & Panchayat Samiti Elections (Feb 2026) Read More »