Kolhapur district is in Maharashtra, India, with its headquarters in the city of Kolhapur. It’s situated near the Panchaganga river and shares its borders with Sangli district to the north, Ratnagiri district and Sindhudurg to the west, and Karnataka to the east. The district is known for its Bauxite mineral resources in the Sahyadri mountains. Several rivers flow through the district, including Ghatprabha, Tamraparni, Dudhganga, Krushna, Bhogawati, Warna, Kasari, Panchaganga, Wedganga, and Kumbhi. Key crops grown here include Groundnut, Soyabean, Tobacco, Rice, Jowar, Cotton, Sugarcane, and Cashew in Chandgad taluka. Kolhapur is part of the Pune division.

The district is home to various educational institutions, including Shivaji University in Kolhapur city, offering a range of programs from KG to PG and beyond. The renowned university covers Kolhapur, Sangli, and Satara districts. Additionally, there are notable institutions like CSIBER, Rajaram College, D. Y. Patil College of Engineering, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Government Medical College, and more.

Kolhapur is known for its craftsmanship, especially Kolhapuri chappals (handcrafted leather slippers), hand block printing of textiles, jewelry crafting, pottery, wood carving, and more. The city has an industrial aspect too, with around 300 foundries contributing to exports worth 15 billion rupees annually. Some must-see places include Mahalaxmi Temple, Rankala Lake, and Shree Jyotirling Devasthan.