Rankala Lake is located at a distance of half a kilometer from the famous Mahalaxmi temple. This serene, expansive lake is so called because at its center is the temple of ‘Rankabhairav’. According to a fable, a golden temple lies submerged under the lake of ‘Rankala’. It is an important place in Kolhapur with historical and cultural signification. Rankala is the resting place of Kolhapur people.
Rankala choupati is very famous and attractive to citizens and tourists. In the pleasant evening atmosphere, this choupati gets crowded with tourists and citizens. Tourists enjoy boating, Children Park, horse riding and stalls of eatables.
Rankala Lake has radius of about 24 acres and depth of 12 meters. On the northern bank of lake stands Shalini Palace. On the eastern side and slightly in the lake stands Sandhya-math which is almost fully sub-merged in water during the monsoon and seen fully in summer when the water on the south –eastern side of the lake. There is Padmaraje garden where one can sit and relax. It is sometimes referred to as the Back Bay or Marine Drive of Kolhapur.
What to See :
1. Padmaraje garden.
2. Shalini Palace.
3. Sandhya-math.