KOLHAPUR: definitely has reasons to celebrate IT

Kolhapur is an ancient town in southern Maharashtra, on the banks of the river Panchganga, and is well-known for its exquisite palaces and forts. In 1945, archaeological excavations close to a hill near Kolhapur revealed the existence of an ancient town dating back to the times of the Roman civilization. Today, Kolhapur is a modern city with a thriving industrial infrastructure.

Kolhapur is the seat of Goddess Mahalakshmi and is one of the Shaktipeeths mentioned in Indian mythology. There is a thrilling tale of an invincible demon named `Kolasur' who was eventually overpowered by the goddess and thus the city came to known as Kolhapur. According to Puranas, Lord Mahadeva dwells here in the form of water, Lord Vishnu in the form of rocks, goddesses in the form of trees and seers in the form of sand. Between the 10th and 13th centuries the city was ruled by the Yadavas; Silaharas, Rashtrakutas and Chalukyas in the Medieval times. Later it came under the Mohhuls, and in 1675 it was conquered by the Maratha chief Shivaji. His descendants, the Chhatrapaties, ruled until Independence. 

There are couples of forts around Kolhapur like Panhala, Vishalgad, Mahipalgad, Kalanandigad. These are major tourist attractions Panhala is situated 20 km from the industrial city of Kolhapur and is a charming hill resort, situated at an altitude of 977.2 metres. With its hoary heritage, Panhala provides the right locale. Likewise, the name `Vishalgad' connotes grandeur and magnificence. The picturesque fort houses the Amriteshwar temple, Takmok Tok,Sati Vrindavan and a dargah of Hazrat Malikdhyan Baba which is visited by devotees comprising of both Hindus as well Muslims. The Mahalakshmi Temple is one of the most worshiped temple in Maharashtra. The Goddess Mahalakshmi is popularly known as Goddess Ambabai. . Located at a distance of half a kilometer from the Mahalakshmi Temple is a huge lake called the Rankala Lake. This is the oldest of all lakes. It was given importance in the past because of a big temple of 'Nandi' situated next to it. Bhavani Mandap, the biggest and oldest building is a glory to the city and is historically relevant. The Town Hall building has in its premises government offices, courts, government hospital and semi-government offices.

Kolhapur played an important role in the development of the so-called indo saracenic style of architecture. The growth of the district in modern times is fascinating. Chhtrapati Shahu Maharaja is an architect and founder of modern Kolhapur. The district is abundant in natural resources like water, soil, natural vegetation, animal wealth and minerals. As a result, Kolhapur is one of the most agriculturally advanced districts of not only Maharashtra but also India. It is fast becoming an industrialised district as well and already a front runner in agro-based industries. Kolhapur District is one of the shining examples in the Co-operative Movement of India. No doubt, the district has the highest per capita income in the Maharashtra State and one of the highest in the country. 

Kolhapur has a distinct culture developed as a result of rich history and its quality of people who have been front-runners in various fields. This city is rising in fame as an industrial city of the 21st century. Kolhapur is endowed with extremely fertile soil, plenty of water and a hard working labour class. The town has quickly progressed from a predominantly farming town to a major industrial base of the state. Ichalkaranji is another industrially growing city in the district. It is famous for the cotton industry and is also known as "Manchester" of Maharashtra. Its winters are mild and misty. When the bells ring out from the riverside temples each morning, Kolhapur comes to life and becomes a busy transport hiatus city because it is the link city between Maharashtra and the neighbouring state of Karnataka.

The highway bringing farm produce to the cities of the state also touches Kolhapur making it a busy market centre as well as, a city replete with monuments left behind by warriors and saints. Kolhapur is also well known in the world for some products like jaggary, leather goods, silver jewellery, Kolhapuri chappals, agro machinery, engines, etc.

IT boom at Kolhapur 



Ushering in the IT revolution to villages where more than 70 per cent of the Indian population lives, is a dream that has come true at Warna in the Kolhapur District of Maharashtra. The special IT Task force set up by the Prime Minister recommended modernising the cooperative movement through use of state-of-the-art Information technology. This led to the "Wired Village" project initiated by the Prime Minister's Office. The key objective of the project is to demonstrate the effective contribution of an IT infrastructure to the socioeconomic development of a cluster of 70 contiguous villages around Warna Nagar in the Kolhapur and Sangli Districts of

Maharashtra. 

Computers provide farmers with useful information about fertilizers and crop diseases. 

For centuries farmers here have cultivated sugar cane, and the cane fields dominate the countryside, feeding the sweet tooth of one billion Indians. Farmers pride themselves on producing more sugar per acre than anywhere else in India. By participating in the government project to plug 70 villages into the Internet, Warna's sugar cane farmers are among the first in the country to embrace the high-tech wave.

'Really wired! 



With computers in all the villages, the farmers are linked to a central network. Suddenly, connectivity is changing a centuries-old way of life. "Computers are not just decorative items. They are useful for the farmer," says a farmer. "We check ... details, sitting in the village. Earlier we used to go to the factory to check for the bill." 

Connectivity is changing a centuries-old way of life for villagers in western India 

Through the network, farmers get a daily weather report, learn what fertilizer to use, and access the sale price of several other crops, which helps them decide what to plant next. 

Soon, they will be able to use the network to diagnose crop diseases. Life has changed dramatically in recent months for the poor peasants. The process is taken care of by the IT revolution that is sweeping across the lush valley of the Warna river. Warna's farmers relish their role as high-tech pioneers. They have no desire to keep the advancements secret; they want the 700 million Indians who live in the countryside to also have access to computers, believing it will help raise living standards across India as others discover the economic benefits of high-speed information 

The project aims to utilize IT to increase the efficiency and productivity of the existing cooperative enterprise by setting up a state-of-the-art computer communication network. Added to this it also aims to provide agricultural, medical, and educational information to villages at the respective facilitation booths and provide communication facilities there to link villages to the Warana cooperative complex. The vision is to bring the world's knowledge at the doorstep of villagers through the Internet via the National Informatics Centre Network. and provide distance education to both primary and higher educational institutes; and also establish a Geographic Information System (GIS) of the surrounding 70 villages leading to greater transparency in administration especially in matters related to land.

Kolhapur, also forms the base of some of the famous and renowned software developing companies. Yash Software (at Station road), Shah High-tech Protection, Multisoft Computers, MJN Computer Centre, Kores Infoses and Padson Computer are some of them.

Some of the reputed hardware companies include NICE, Siddhi Computer System, Kanare Computer and Photos. Apart from software and hardware companies in Kolhapur, Multisoft Computers at Rajarampuri, C-Dac, Aptech Computer Education Centre and NIIT etc. are some of the computer training institutes in the city.

Major Resellers

Prashant Lohia


Pulse Computers


Shop No S4,


Royal Courts


Near Panch Bunglow


Shahupuri


Kolhapur

Sachin Gavali


Imagine Computer Services


Plot No 16, Ganesh Colony,


Radhanagari Road,


Kolhapur

Parag S. Karekar


P. C. Tech


1269 `B` Mangalwar Peth


Kolhapur

Parag Panvalkar


Comptel Systems


789, Sahyadri Nagar


Nachne


Ratnagiri


Kolhapur

Samay Informatics


Samay Informatics


54 Royal Court


Near Pach Bungalow


Shahupuri


Kolhapur

Eliyas Ustad


Photon Computers


E-7 , Mahalaxmi Chambers,


Kolhapur

Nitin Kulkarni


Piwel Computer


Plot No 26, Sushila Niwas


Bharat Housing Society


Rajarampuri, 8th Lane


Kolhapur

Sanjay Dafale


Universal Systems


2606 B, Ingavale Building


Near Shivaji Stadium Pavilion


Kolhapur

Sunil Bargale


Omnisys Computers


9/36, Saraswati Market


Ichalkaranji 416 115


Kolhapur