One of the most prominent museums in the city, Town Hall is a grand structure that boasts a variety of relics and other interesting exhibits from different time periods. Two 18th century cannons welcome one on entering the Town Hall. These are placed behind a pair of medieval elephant sculptures brought here from the Mahalakshmi Temple.

One can also look at myriad collections of Stone Age axes to guns that were used in World War I, porcelain dishes, decorative pots, terracotta musical instruments from 1888 and paintings of noted painter, Kala Maharshi Baburao. Some other highlights of the museum include figurines of Poseidon, who is a Greek god, pieces of pottery, beads, coins, a medallion with Hellenistic figures and riders on an elephant. The museum has a neo-Gothic structure that was built in 1876. It is surrounded by lush well-manicured gardens spread over an area of 8 acre. You can find some exotic shrubs, trees and other plants here.Hide Content

The unique Siddhagiri Museum gives a quick peek into the self-sufficient life of villages a century ago. Spread over seven acre, the museum has around 80 scenes of village life as well as 300 life-size statues of humans and domestic animals in natural environs.

The city of Kolhapur is noted for Kolhapuri saaj, a special type of necklace worn here. It is liked by women all over the country for its intricate designs, unique appeal and royal grandeur. Earlier, the saaj comprised 21 leaves of various design pendants. It is believed to have been crafted about 60 years ago.

Making this necklace requires immense patience and skill. Most of the ornaments made in Kolhapur derive their legacy from the Peshwas and the Marathas. Some other popular jewellery one can find in the city are chokar, bormal, mohanmal, har and malas, chaplahar, putlihar and pohehar, along with thushi, which is a choker made with intricately bound gold beads. Tourists can also shop for patlya, broad bangles; tode, finely carved thick bangles; bangdya, two sets of bangles; chinchpeti, which is a choker; nath, a nose ring and tanmani, which is a short necklace. The armlet called bajuband is also quite popular, along with flower-shaped earrings.

Immensely fashionable footwear, Kolhapuri chappals are renowned all over the country for their feather-like lightness and a flat and a thin sole. They are made in a variety of colours and designs and go well with both ethnic and fusion attires. Kolhapuri chappals are made from fine quality leather and traditionally come in a brown shade.

They feature intricate thread designs woven on the wooden flap with a red tassel ball in the centre. Today, this ethnic version has been improved upon to give it vivid hues of purple, orange, gold, red, green and pink. Instead of thread embroidery, the flap also features pearls, sequins or stones. These footwear can be worn as daily wear and at parties, depending upon their embellishments. It is said that Kolhapuri chappals originated in the villages of Maharashtra in the 13th century. The royal family discovered their unique designs and under their patronage, the chappals grew to become more beautiful and popular.

To see a wide and a unique collection of equipment related to agriculture, a visit to Irwin Agricultural Museum is a must. Among the not-to-be-missed items are an exquisite collection of coins from Andhra Pradesh and bronze artefacts. You can also find exhibits of clothes, weapons and utensils used by Chhatrapati Shivaji. Moreover, the museum houses sculptures of the animals hunted by Shivaji.