Take home a piece of Kolhapur

The city's famous crafts and flavours — what they are, roughly what they cost, and the best areas to buy them. Tap through to find the shops.

8 local specialities
What they cost
Where to buy

Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA

Craft

Kolhapuri Chappal

The city's signature export — a handcrafted, open-toe leather sandal made from vegetable-tanned buffalo hide, entirely by hand, with the distinctive braided toe-loop. Durable, breathable and unmistakably ethnic, it earned a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2019. No two pairs are quite alike.

Known for: Handmade leather
Price from: ₹500 – ₹3,000
Best area: Mahadwar Road
GI-tagged: Yes (2019)

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Kolhapuri Saaj — traditional gold necklace

Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA

Jewellery

Kolhapuri Saaj

A traditional Maharashtrian gold necklace strung with intricately worked pendants — each a tiny deity or auspicious motif — finished with a central pendant and green or red beads. Worn by married women and passed down as an heirloom, the Saaj (along with the beaded Thushi) is Kolhapur's most treasured piece of jewellery.

Known for: Handworked gold
Price: Varies by weight
Best area: Gujari & Mahadwar Rd
Note: Bridal heirloom

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Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA

Food

Kolhapuri Gul (Jaggery)

Kolhapur is one of India's great jaggery hubs, and its golden, aromatic gul is prized across the country. Made from freshly crushed sugarcane and set into round blocks, it's a wholesome, chemical-free sweetener — a staple in every Maharashtrian kitchen and an easy, long-lasting thing to carry home.

Known for: Organic jaggery
Price from: ₹60 – ₹100 / kg
Best area: Market Yard (Gul mandi)
Note: India's jaggery hub

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Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA

Food

Kolhapuri Masala

The soul of Kolhapur's famously fiery cuisine. Two blends rule every kitchen — the deep-red kanda-lasun masala (onion-garlic) and the searing tikhat chilli powder — hand-pounded from roasted spices and dry-roasted red chillies. Vacuum-packed, they're the tastiest, most portable souvenir of them all.

Known for: Kanda-lasun & tikhat
Price from: ₹80 – ₹300 / pack
Best area: Mahadwar Road
Note: Fiery Kolhapuri heat

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Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA

Textiles

Paithani & Silk Sarees

Kolhapur's old-town silk shops are a treasure trove of Maharashtrian weaves — from richly bordered Paithani sarees with their peacock and lotus zari motifs to lighter silks and cottons. A timeless, wearable keepsake, best picked in person so you can feel the fabric and see the gold thread catch the light.

Known for: Zari & peacock motifs
Price from: ₹2,000 upward
Best area: Mahadwar Road silk shops
Note: Buy in person

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Brass and copper ware — lamps and puja items

Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA

Metalware

Brass & Copper Ware

The old-town lanes around Mahadwar Road glint with hand-finished brass and copper — tall samai oil lamps, diyas, urlis, deity idols and traditional kitchenware. Made to last a lifetime and polished to a warm shine, a small lamp or idol is a meaningful, compact keepsake that carries the feel of a Kolhapuri home.

Known for: Lamps, idols & urlis
Price from: ₹200 upward
Best area: Old town / Mahadwar Rd
Note: Hand-finished

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Kolhapuri sweets — pedha, kunda and barfi

Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA

Food

Kolhapuri Sweets

The city's sweet shops turn out rich, milk-based mithai — soft pedha, the caramelised milk fudge kunda, and melt-in-the-mouth barfis and seasonal specials. Boxed fresh over the counter, they travel well for a day or two and are the tastiest, most shareable way to bring a little of Kolhapur back home.

Known for: Pedha, kunda & barfi
Price from: ₹200 / box
Best area: Mahadwar Rd sweet shops
Note: Buy fresh

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Terracotta and clayware — pots, diyas and planters

Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA

Craft

Terracotta & Clayware

Local potters shape earthy terracotta and clayware by hand — water pots (matka), diyas, planters and decorative figurines — sold at weekly markets and roadside stalls across the district. Eco-friendly, handmade and delightfully cheap, the smaller diyas and figurines pack easily and make charming, low-cost gifts.

Known for: Matka, diyas & planters
Price from: ₹30 upward
Best area: Weekly markets
Note: Eco-friendly

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Photo credits. Product photographs via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA.