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Sangli City is located in the southern part of the
Maharashtra State, and lies along the Krishna
River, east of Kolhapur, on the
Pune -Bangalore
railway. Sangli, which is 430-km away
from Mumbai was the
former capital (1761-1947) of former Sangli State.
Its market in oilseeds and turmeric is one of the most important in
India. Sangli has a Ganapati temple that attracts many devotees. Sangli
city is an important educational center with schools and technical
institutes, colleges of arts, science, and engineering facilities,
affiliated with Shivaji University, Kolhapur.
Sangli
is rapidly extending on all sides except along the Krishna River. Sangli
and Miraj to the east are merging to create a large urban agglomeration.
Miraj, also a capital of a former Princely State, is renowned for
manufacturing musical instruments. The Dargah of Meerasaheb Avalia
attracts devotees from far and wide.
The Valley of river Krishna and its tributaries is one of
the greenest areas in the country. Other small rivers like Warana, Yerala
and Panchganga meet river Krishna. There are numerous unknown spots of
scenic beauty in and around Krishna Valley near Sangli. The Grand Temple
of Lord Ganesh in Sangli attracts tourists from all over India. There are
a number of Hindu Shrines and Jain Temples in and around Sangli, which
attract lot of devotees.
Sangli fort
Sangli Fort is situated in the centre of Sangli City. Inside the fort is
the Collector's office, Revenue Office, a Marathi school " Purohit
Girls High school" and a museum. Rajwada, the palace is also located
inside the fort, and the museum is located in backside of the Rajwada.
Just opposite to the fort is the present court of Sangli district.
Ganapati
Temple
The Ganapati temple situated on banks of river Krishna at Sangli is most
beautiful temple in south Maharashtra. It is
a tutelar deity of Sangli. Thorle (elder) Chintamanrao Patwardhan
consecrated the idol in 1843. This temple is very famous for its artistic
construction. It is 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 coloured natural wood.
The temple is located on eastern bank of river Krishna.
Krishna Ghat
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.
Gokak Water Falls
The waterfall is just 2 hours travel from Sangli by train or a car. The
best time to visit this falls is between June to October as there is
plenty of water. There is a swinging bridge on the waterfalls. Gokak Dam
and the Hydroelectric Power plant are also worth watching.
Mahabaleshwar
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.
Pratapgad Fort
Pratapgad Fort is one of the formidable mountain forts built 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.
Koyna Dam
The Koyna dam is a big dam, built high in Satara district of the
Sahyadris on one of the major tributaries of the Krishna, which is a "Major
Irrigation Project'' in the terminology of the Indian Government. Its
reservoir has a storage capacity of 98 TMC feet and the dam generates over
900 MW of electricity.
Bahubali Hill Temples (Kumbhojgiri)
Bahubali hill temples are located 27-km south of Kolhapur on Bahubali
Hills. These hills are popularly known as "Kumbhojgiri". It is a
popular site revered by both Hindus and Jains. A Celibacy Resort was
established in 1935 and named after the sage Bahubali who mediated here
about 300 years before.
Chandoli Forests
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.
Bijapur
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.
Sagareshwar
Wild Life Sanctuary
Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is at trifurcation of three tehsils namely
Khanapur, Walva and Palus Tehsils of Sangli district covering an area of
is 10.87-sq-km in Western Maharashtra. The significance of this sanctuary
is that it is a man made sanctuary. Sagareshwar is an artificially
cultivated forest without perennial supply off water and in which most of
the wildlife species are artificially introduced. It was first brought
under the category of park, then Sagaroba game reserve in 1980 and
thereafter, in 1985, it became Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary when
approximately 52 animals were set free in the area.
Pandharpur
Pandharpur also known as "Bhu-Vaikuntha" or Paradise on Earth
is the spiritual capital of Maharashtra, situated on the banks of the
river Bhimarathi also known Chandrabhaga. It is located 65-km west of
Sholapur. Pandharpur houses a shrine of Vithoba, on the banks of the
river. 'Vithoba' is a form of Krishna. The name Vithoba means Father
Vitthala. The term Vitthala is said to have been derived from the word
Vishnu in Kannada. It was previously called, as "Pandarga", a
sanskritised form of Pandharpur. This shrine was closely associated with a
saint called Pundalik, and hence this shrine is also known as "Pundarika
Pura". There is also a shrine to Pundalik at Pandharpur. Vithoba's
consort is Rakhumai or Rukmini.
Battis Shirala
Battis Shirala is a small village about 65-km from Sangli located in the
hilly area covered by thick forests. These forests have a wide species of
snakes right from the deadliest King Cobra to the rare species of Pythons.
Every year during the "Snake Festival", thousands of visitors
from India and abroad visit this place.
Narsobawadi
Narsobawadi is a small village located close to Kolhapur, which attracts
tourists in quite a large number. It is popularly know as Narsobachi Wadi.
This place is situated at the confluence of river Krishna and Panch Ganga.
Narsobawadi has a great archaeological significance.
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.
Reasonable budget accommodations as well as luxurious ones are available for tourists in the city of Sangli.
Banks:
State Bank of India
Industrial Estate
State Bank of India
Main Branch, Ganpati Peth
State Bank of India
South Shivaji nagar
Canara Bank
Hospitals
Cancer Hospital, Miraj
Wanless Hospital, Miraj
Wanless Chest Hospital, Miraj
Miraj Medical College Hospital
Civil Hospital, Sangli
Dental College Hospital, Sangli
Kripamayee Mental Hospital, Miraj
Richardson Leprosy Hospital, Miraj
| Temperature Range (Deg °c) | Maximum | Minimum |
| Summer: | 38.5°C. | 43°C |
| Winter: | 25°C. | 12.8° C |
| Latitude: | 18° 15 ' to 19° 55' | |
| Longitude: | 77° to 78° 25' | |
| Clothing: | Light cotton | |
| STD Code: | 0233 | |
| Population: | 193,197(1991 census). | |
| Climate: | Tropical | |
| Rainfall: | 538.5 M.M | |
Kolhapur: 48-km
Chandoli: 65-km
Battis Shirala: 65-km