Day 7 – A Kolhapur Adventure: Chappal Market and Rassas Galore!
Night of Day 6:
After much local guidance and assistance, I finally stumbled upon the Opal Hotel. Although my booking was lost due to my tardiness, Lady Luck was on my side and I snagged a room for the night. The hotel’s old-school charm was rather intriguing, and the staff was so hospitable that I felt right at home.
As I was famished from my long journey, I dashed over to the attached restaurant to sample the cuisine. The flavors were quite unique compared to other places I’ve visited, so I leaned on the waiter for recommendations. He suggested the wheat chapattis and the Kolhapur special mutton fry, which were accompanied by the signature Kolhapuri Tambda Rassa and Kolhapuri Pandhra Rassa. Apparently, these “Rassas” are a big deal here in Kolhapur, and let me tell you, they did not disappoint. The “original” Kolhapuri food was absolutely delicious, and I would gladly give it a five-star rating.
Back in my hotel room, I discovered a charming balcony that offered a stunning view of the old buildings and lush greenery nearby. It was quite the pleasant surprise.
Day 7 Morning:
After catching up on some much-needed sleep, I woke up a tad later than planned. As Kolhapur is famous for its leather slippers, also known as “Kolhapuri chappals”, I decided to venture out to the local market to see if I could snag a few pairs. The hotel staff recommended the Chappal Market and the Kolhapur Shahu Maharaja’s Palace-turned-museum as the must-see spots in the area. With over 2200 kilometers under my belt, I wasn’t exactly itching to drive around the city, so I hailed an auto-rickshaw to take me to the Chappal Market. I managed to score a couple of pairs of the famous Kolhapuri Chappals, and let me tell you, my feet have never felt fancier.
I ventured to a nearby shop in the vicinity of “Chappal Market” and procured some scrumptious sweets before sauntering over to the museum. While the town may have been on the smaller side compared to its larger city counterparts, I couldn’t help but notice the locals’ impressive agility and productivity (a valuable trait in today’s fast-paced world).
My visit to the museum was a delight, with the opulent palace designed by a skilled British architect. Unfortunately, photography was off-limits within the museum, leaving me with just a handful of snaps from outside the palace. Nevertheless, I did manage to strike up a fantastic rapport with my trusty auto-rickshaw driver, who skillfully guided me through the town’s nooks and crannies.
Upon my return to the hotel, I took a break from my epic road trip to indulge in some modern-day activities like playing games on my Android smartphone and doing some graphics processing on my trusty notebook. Lo and behold, I noticed a sudden surge in website visitors since entering Maharashtra! I guess my car sticker advertising strategy paid off, or maybe people here just have an eagle eye for noticing things.
As dinnertime rolled around, I decided to order in and document my culinary adventure with some mouthwatering snaps of the traditional food. And boy, was it a feast for the senses! Maharashtra and Kolhapur definitely exceeded my expectations, and not just in terms of their delicious cuisine.
Next day is going to be long as I have to cross the Maharashtra border into Gujarat. My next destination is an industrial town in Gujarat – Vapi. I did book a hotel in Vapi – “Hotel Greenview” from here.
I did not realize when I slept off.
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