Rankala Lake

Rankala is a large lake in Kolhapur city, given its present form under Maharaja Shahu Chhatrapati. Local accounts say it began as a stone quarry; after an earthquake, water from an underground source filled the pit and created the lake. A small Hindu temple stands in the water, and its Nandi figure is linked to a belief that Shiva shifts a single grain of wheat toward or away from it each day.

Around the shore are Shalini Palace to the north, the Padmaraje Garden on the north-east bank, a newer park to the south-east and a fresh-produce market in that corner. Evening walks, paddle boats and motorboats are popular, migratory birds arrive in season, and sunsets over the water draw photographers.