Top Places to Visit in Sangli, Maharashtra

Sangli is known as a Turmeric city due to its production and trade of spice. Sangli is the largest marketplace for Turmeric trade, grapes and the largest number of sugar factories in India. Sangli district is situated in the western part of Maharashtra in the river basins of the Warna and Krishna Rivers. There are many places to visit in Sangli like  Dandoba, Sagreshwar Sanctuary, Chandoli National Park, Tasegoan Ganesh temple, Narsobachi wadi, Audumbar Battis Shirala, Kundal, Khidrapur Temple, Ramling Temple and lots of others.

 Places to visit in Sangli:

1. Ganpati Temple: 

This is one of the perfect destinations to visit in Sangli. It’s situated on the eastern banks of the Krishna River. The temple was constructed by Thorle Chintamanrao Patwardhan within the year 1843. This temple is the deity of the Patwardhan family. The unique attraction of this temple is black stone architecture. The entire area of the temple is about two acres and comprises a large hall, a platform and a ‘Nagarkhana. It looks so beautiful when the slivery rays of the evening sun brighten the face of the Ganpati Idol.

Best time visit: October to February

Constituting History: Construction of the Ganapati Temple in Sangli begun the year 1779 by the Parasuram Bhau Patwardhan and this was completed by his son Appa Patwardhan in the year 1799

2. Dandoba Hills Forest:

Dandoba hills are just 25 minutes away from Sangli, which attracts the attention of many old temples. In the rainy season, these hills are a beautiful and historically significant ancient temple that can be explored here. One of the most popular temples is the Shiva temple, and locals come here daily to offer their prayers. There are several water sports take at the Bose Irrigation lake. So when you visit, make sure to get your swimwear when you come here so that you can enjoy the waters of the lake. For trekking lovers, these hills are a favourite place, as they attract many trekking tourists.

Best time to visit: October to February

Constituting history: the place is that this could probably have been mentioned in the Epic Ramayana, as the forests of Dandakaranya

3. Bahubali Temple:

The Bahubali hill temple is located at Kumbhoj at a distance of 27 km south of Kolhapur in Maharashtra. The hill ranges are popularly referred to as 'Kumbhojgir. It was also known for being a celibacy resort established in 1935  and named after the sage Bahubali meditated here 400 years ago.  Many devotees come to this place from all over the country to offer their prayers. Besides the temple of Bahubali, there are several other pilgrim centres, holy structures, resorts and schools around the temple complex which were here built 100 years ago. 

Constituting history: The place is named after sage Bahubali who meditated here about 4000  years ago

 4. Sangmeswar temple

One of the most prominent tourist attractions for Worshippers to come and offer their devotion to the greatest god reserved in Hindu mythology, lord shiva. This religious significance is among the most popular ones in the region owing to its historical and mythological significance. The temple is situated in the Haripur district of Sangli. The significance of the temple is increased due to located at the intersection point of river Krishna and River Warna. . If you are coming to this attraction in Sangli, then you will find it laden with worshippers at most times, especially on Mondays when people come here with special offerings for the Lord.

Best time to visit: You will find this temple most crowded during the month of Shravan.

5. Sangli Fort

Sangli Fort is situated in the centre of Sangli City. Inside the fort are the Revenue Office, collectors office, Marathi School (Purohit Girl’s High School)  and Museum. The Rajwads palace is also present inside the fort and the museum is located in the backside of the "Rajwada". Opposite to the Sangli Fort is the Sangli Court,

Constituting history: The fort is said to have been built during the Peshwas.

Best time to visit: It is best to visit Sangli during the Monsoon Season

6.Chandoli National Park

The Chandoli National Park in Sangli is spread over an area covering over 300 square kilometres.  This wildlife sanctuary in Sangli is a Must visit attraction in Sangli city. Currently, Chandoli National Park has the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in its southern portion along with the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary that forms part of the northern part of the reserve. . The forest is a mix of the Malabar Coast moist forests and North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests-  given the fact that the National park is located in the western coastal region. The trees include Indian gooseberry, crape myrtle, Anjani ironwood tree, Jamun, Pisa, kayak spinous kino tree and more. The park is also abundant in nearly 23 species of mammals and 122 species of birds 20 species of amphibians and reptiles – that are common in this area.

7. Sagarshwar Wildlife Sanctuary

Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is a man-made wildlife sanctuary that attracts a large crowd of tourists to the place. It is located in Sangli at a distance of 47 km from the city and one one of the best tourist places in Sangli which Spread over an area of 10.87 square kilometres which mostly comprises forest cover on grassy slopes. This place is home to 52 different large variety of flora and fauna that includes animals such as wild goats, rabbits, deer, jackals, peacocks, blackbucks, chital, sambar, barking deer, porcupine and other species, there are several species of birds, reptiles and animals found here. . There are several places of archaeological, religious and cultural significance like the Shiva Temple, the Sagareshwar Temple and others.

Constituting history: Some 1.5 km from the sanctuary is a temple complex that has 51 ancient temples which are believed to be from Shilahara or Yadava period.

Connectivity to Sangli in Maharashtra:

Sangli is well connected by road, rail and air modes of transport.

1. By Bus: Sangli has a busy bus terminus for buses from different parts of Maharashtra and neighbouring states. The MSRTC  operates semi-luxury, deluxe and ordinary type buses for Mumbai, Pune, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, Satara, Solapur, Nagpur, Nanded, Hyderabad and others.

 2. By Train: Sangli has a railway station; additionally, Miraj Junction is about 10 km from the city centre. Multiple trains serve Sangli on the Mumbai - Pune - Miraj - Bangalore route.

3. By Air: The nearest airport is in Pune, which is 225km from Sangli. Alternatively, Panjim Airport can also be used; it is at a similar distance, but the journey from there takes longer, due to ghat sections on the road.