Sangli

The name SANGLI means The city of Six Lanes. This city of six lanes is now one of the biggest and the most important cities in the state of Maharashtra in Western India. The city also has a rich cultural heritage. This city is the origin of Marathi Drama. SANGLI is also known as Natyapandhari, The Birth Place of Marathi Drama Sangli City is located in western India on the banks of river Krishna. This region llies in the Deccan plateau. The region around the city is greenjust because of krishna valley river. Sangli was a princely state before merger into the Indian union in 1948. This state was ruled by the princely family of Patwardhans. the old fort Ganesh Durg, adjacent buildings, the grand temple of Lord Ganesha and the Museum are all gifts of the royal family of Patwardhans to this city as a major business center in india. Thus Sangli grew as a major center of trade in groundnuts and turmeric. the grapes from Sangli find a very high demand all over the demand.

SANGLI is about 430 km from Mumbai( Bombay ), 750 km from Bangalore and 220 km from Pune. The city is just 35 km from Bombay-Bangalore National Highway NH4.On the National Highway NH4, there are two branches from SANGLI city. If you are coming from Bombay, you have to take left turn from NH4 Highway at Peth Naka. If you are coming from Bangalore on the same highway NH4, you have to take a right turn from Shiroli village near Kolhapur.

Air: The nearest International Airport is at Mumbai (430-kms). The nearest Airport is at Kolhapur, which is 48-kms away from Sangli.

Rail: There is a railway station at Sangli. Many trains pass through this station connecting it with important cities within the state.

Road: Sangli is about 430-km from Mumbai, 750-km from Bangalore and 220-km from Pune. It is just 35-km off the Mumbai-Bangalore National Highway. The Ratnagiri-Nagpur Highway also passes through Sangli. The Maharashtra State Transport runs several deluxe and semi-deluxe buses from Mumbai, Pune, Goa to Sangli. Karnataka and Goa State Transports also operate services from Sangli.
 

Sangli fort is situated in the center of Sangli city. Inside the fort is the Collector's office , Revenue office, and a museum. Rajwada the palace is also located inside the fort, and a museum is located in back side of Rajwada. just opposite to the fort is the present court of Sangli district.

The Ganapati temple is situated on the banks of the river Krishna, is the most beautiful temple in Maharashtra. Its a tutelar deity of sangli. This temple is very famous for its artistic construction. Its built out of black, stone made available from the hills of Jyotiba. The temple has a large premise, covering a sprawling two acres. It comprises of a platform, an excellent hall and a "Nagarkhana". The door of the sanctum is carved out of different colored natural wood. The temple is located on eastern bank of river Krishna.

The confluence of the rivers Krishna and Warana is at Haripur a small town near Sangli. A temple is situated on the banks of these two rivers. In the year 1768 Govind Hari Patwardhan made houses for the Brahmins, which is why the town is known as "Haripur" as a tribute to Hari Patwardhan.

 Mahabaleshwar, Queen of all Hill Stations, is situated at an altitude of 1372m in the heart of Sahyadri Hills in Satara District. The hill station has a legendary past. The name 'Mahabaleshwar' is derived from a temple of Lord Mahadev and three Sanskrit words, 'Maha' (great), 'Bal' (power) and 'Ishwar' (God). But, some say that the name 'Mahabaleshwar', which simply means very mighty God, seems to have a mythological past

Paratapgad Fort is one of the formidable mountain forts bulit by shivaji, 24 km away from the famous hill station Mahabaleshwar The fort holds a commanding view of coastal Konkan. One can see the Raigadh fort from here. The Bhavani temple and Afzal Khan's Tomb are other places of interest.

Bijapur is about 4 hours drive from Sangli. One can get Maharashtra and Karnataka State Transport Buses from Sangli to reach Bijapur. Private Cars can also be hired from Sangli. This is a one-day trip from Sangli. Bijapur is a historical place known for its ancient palaces. Adilshah built a number of palaces in Bijapur. The most famous of them is the Gol Gumbaj. There are some other historical palaces in Bijapur too.
 

Mountains and thick forests surround the Chandoli region, which is about 65-km from Sangli. This is a famous spot for its scenic beauty and wild animals like monkeys, deer, wild goat, rabbits, tigers, peacocks, snakes, etc. Chandoli dam is also worth visiting with rare species of trees and plants. This region also witnesses maximum rainfall.