The Gazetteers Department

In the west lies the Sahyadrian watershed-a region of about The 10 to 15 miles wide and running throughout the length of the Sahyadris lying in this district from the Malkapur tract in the north to Samangad in the south. The very edge of this long belt consists of the precipitous scarps of the Sahyadries that is marked by occasional terraces, steep basaltic walls and magnificent amphitheatres through which the monsoonal waters of innumerable streams are drained away to the Arabian sea. This scarp acts both as a natural and administrative division boundary to the newly formed district of Kolhapur. The upper heights on the scarp notably wherever there are local isolated features, is marked by several important forts as, for example, Bavda and Vishalgad. These forts are mostly detached outliers of the plateau and owing to their isolated and commanding position have played an important part in history. It is interesting to notice that below or in the vicinity of each of these forts is a small gap-town situated along with Ghat routes. Bavda, for example, controls the route from Kolhapur to Kharepatan. This region of the Sahyadrian water-shed is thinly populated, people living in small hamlets and depending for their livelihood partly on agriculture but mostly on forest occupations. Quite a large area is under forest cover and is exploited under Governmental supervision. Human attention naturally is directed along the upper tracts of the main valleys, as for example, along the valley leading to the Ambaghat, the Kumbhi valley, the Bhoga-wati and the Vedaganga.

East of this Sahyadrian watershed the landscape consists of two striking contrasts, the residual hill ranges separated by the intermediate valleys.

The residual hill ranges.

From the Sahyadrian watershed several hill ranges run to the east and are separated by intermediate valleys. These are developed on the Deccan lavas and form erosional remnants having a characteristic landscape summit plateaus with rounded peaks above and structural benches below. The Panhala-Alta range is the northernmost one of the district. Emerging from the Vishalgad area of the Sahyadrian watershed it runs first south-eastwards and then almost due east. The economic development of this range is marked by forests in the western part which through a transition of scrub develop extensive grass lands towards the east. On the whole this is a thinly populated region. Panhala (3,127 ft.) is a famous historical fort and a good hill station. Pavangad is yet another fort in the vicinity. Right across the saddle is situated the famous Jyotiba temple. Villages on the plateau are few but at the junction of the hills and the valleys below a string of hamlets has made its appearance as for example, Pishvi, Borivade, Padali on the north and Kotoli, Porle, Nagaon and Alta in the south. The other hill ranges too participate in this general regional characteristic of the Panhala range. These are from north to south, the Vaghajai range separating the Kumbhi valley from Kasari, the Pal Donger and its minor ridges which separate the Kumbhi from the Tulsi river valley, the Phonda-Sangaon range which separates Bhogawati from the Dudhaganga, the Kagal range separating the Dudhaganga from the Vedaganga, and the Bhudargad group of ranges which separates the Vedaganga from the Ghatprabha valley. In all these ranges the monsoonal forest cover is gradually replaced towards the east by grasslands. Population is thin and is settled at selected localities. The typical Deccan lava topography is a characteristic feature of all these ranges.

River Valleys.

A succession of river valleys draining the land towards the east characterises the land-scape of the district from the Varna valley in the north to the upper tributaries of the Ghatprabha in the south. From the human point of view these are the most important areas of the district. Well cultivated and densely peopled, Malkapur, Kasba, Sarud and Kodoli are more important villages of the Varna valley. In the Kasari valley Gajapur, Bhogaon and Kasar are important villages. Sangrul situated at the spur of the Pal Donger (or Tymzai Range) is a market village in the Kumbhi valley. In the upper reaches of the Kumbhi, Kale and Bawada are large sized villages. The road from Kolhapur connects these places and through a Ghat road it joins Kharepatan. Bid and Koge are important villages of the confluence plain of the Kumbhi, Tulsi and Bhogawati rivers. The Bhogawati valley is much more well developed economically. A road from Kolhapur to Malvan passes through this valley via Phonda Ghat and connects several large sized villages live Vashi, Rashiwade and Radhanagari. Development of hydro-electricity from the Radha-nagari tank and irrigation by means of bunds on the Bhogawati river have brought in a greater prosperity to this valley through sugar-cane cultivation. East of Prayag which marks the confluence of the Kasari and Bhogawati, lies the Panchaganga valley proper. This is a region of rich agriculture and population. A substantial area is utilized for sugar-cane. East of Kolhapur several commercially important crops are raised. Sugar-cane continues to dominate the banks of the river. A little in the interior it is succeeded by tobacco, cotton, millets and wheat. Betel leaf gardens flourish wherever well irrigation is possible. Pulses and spice crops play an important secondary role. Large sized nucleated village are typical of this region. Hatkanangale, Shirol and Ichalkaranji are local markets and taluka towns. Ichalkaranji is well-known for its handloom products. Narsobawadi situated at the junction of the Panchaganga with the Krishna, is a place of great sanctity. Jaisingpur is a small but flourishing town that specialises in tobacco marketing. But the city of Kolhapur through its historical tradition, administrative and commercial importance dominates the economy of the entire district. The Phonda-Sangaon range separates the Bhogawati from the Dudhaganga valley. As compared with the northern valleys the valley of the Dudhaganga river is wider and also correspondingly well-developed. Its upper regions are partly wooded and partly rice-growing areas. Towards Kagal cultivation of millets and several other crops increases. The agricultural development of this valley is well reflected in the numerous large sized villages like Valve, Solankur and Kagal. Kagal is a town of local importance situated on the Poona-Bangalore trunk road. The Kolhapur limits of the Dudhaganga valley terminate east of Kagal. A small hill range separates the Dudhaganga from the upper reaches of the Vedaganga. Gargoti and Murgud are two important market villages. Gargoti is connected with Kolhapur by a good metalled road across the Vedaganga hilly range and Murgud lies on the Nippani-Radhanagari Road. The southern most part of the district as generally hilly and is marked by several small valleys draining the area eastwards mainly to the Ghatprabha river. In one of the tributary valleys of the Vedaganga is situated the minor township of Kapshi. Ajra, Mahagaon and Gadhinglaj are small sized towns lying on the Sankeshwar-Savantwadi road which passes through the upper Hiranyakeshi river. Economic development of these valleys is very much similar to that of the Dudhaganga and Vedaganga basins.

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