Maha Laxmi Mandir Kolhapur – Guide
Maha Laxmi Mandir is located in the ancient city of Kolhapur in Maharashtra. This temple is also known as Amba Bai Temple. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Mahalakshmi, the goddess of wealth. This temple is a very sacred temple especially for the followers of the Shakta sect. Mahalakshmi Temple of Kolhapur is considered to be one of the 51 Shaktipeeths and 18 Maha Shakti Peethas.
History of this Temple
The history of Kolhapur Maha Laxmi Mandir dates back to the Chalukya period around 600 AD, the temple was built by the rulers of this dynasty. An earthquake in the 8th century destroyed most of the temple, but the surviving part of the temple can still be seen today. Due to Kolhapur Mahalaxmi Temple being in high and dense forests, people could not know about this temple for a long time.
Later in 1009 CE, the Konkan king Karandev discovered the temple, but King Gandharaditya of the Shilahara dynasty built the approach road to the temple in the 11th century. He had constructed two temples Goddess Mahakali and Saraswati Mata here.
According to an inscription located in the Kolhapur Maha Laxmi Mandir complex, the temple was renovated by the dhabas and gaekwads during the Maratha rule in the 18th century. In 1941, Shrimant Jahangirdar Babasaheb Ghatge had installed the idols of nine planets in the Navagraha temple here.
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Kolhapur Maha Laxmi Mandir Timings
Kolhapur Maha Laxmi Mandir opens daily at 4:00 am and closes at 11:00 pm. During this, many rituals are also performed in the temple. Ritual Darshan Time – 4:30 am. Kakad Aarti Timings – 4:30 am. Mahapuja (morning) time – 8:00 am. Naivadyam time – 9:30 am. Mahapuja (afternoon) time – 11:30 pm. Bhog Aarti time – 7:30 am. Shej Aarti time – 10:00 pm.
Saturday | 04:00 AM to 11:00 PM |
Sunday | 04:00 AM to 11:00 PM |
Monday | 04:00 AM to 11:00 PM |
Tuesday | 04:00 AM to 11:00 PM |
Wednesday | 04:00 AM to 11:00 PM |
Thursday | 04:00 AM to 11:00 PM |
Friday | 04:00 AM to 11:00 PM |
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Place to visit near this Temple
Khasbagh Ground
The Khasbagh Ground is a national wrestling stadium in the city of Kolhapur. It was built during the time of Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj. It is the largest wrestling stadium in India, and is almost a hundred years old.
Bhavani Mandap
It is a small temple dedicated to Bhavani Devi. It is located just a few meters away from Mahalaxmi Temple. Bhavani Devi is considered to be the sister of Lakshmi Mata and a guest of Kolhapur.
Narsinghwadi or Narsobachi Wadi
This pilgrimage is situated at a distance of 55 km from Kolhapur. The temple is dedicated to Lord Dattatreya who is believed to be an incarnation of the holy trinity of Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
Bahubali Hill Temple
Bahubali Hill Temple is a Jain Digambar dedicated temple. It is situated at a distance of 27 km from Kolhapur. It is also known as Kumbhojgiri due to the BSE being on the mountains.
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How to reach Kolhapur Maha Laxmi Mandir
By Air- The nearest airport from this temple is Kolhapur Airport which is at a distance of 10 km from this temple. From here you can easily reach this temple by using local transport services or taxi.
By Train- The nearest railway station from Kolhapur Maha Laxmi Mandir is chatrapati sahu maharaj terminal railway station which is at a distance of 5 km from this temple. From here you can easily reach this temple by using local transport services or taxi.
By Road- Roads to this temple are well connected with the other cities of the country so you can easily reach this temple by using local transport services or taxi.
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