Mahalaxmi Temple Kolhapur is one of the 52 Shakti Peethas in all of India and one of the important three and a half Shakti Peetha of Maharashtra. All Shakti Peetha temples in India represent the Goddess Shakti i.e, Sati or Parvati, wife of Mahadev.
Kolhapur Mahalaxmi Shaktipeeth is one of the many significant pilgrimage sites in India. Mahalaxmi Mandir is also known as Ambabai Mandir. As Mahalakshmi is the wife of Lord Vishnu, Hence, the custom of visiting Venkateswara temple in Tirumala (Balaji temple) and Mahalakshmi in Kolhapur is followed in Hinduism. In Skanda Purana Goddess Kolhapur Mahalakshmi is composed as “Om Karveer Niwasini Namah” “Om Sesha Vasuki Sansevyaya Namah”.
Ambabai (Mahalakshmi) of Kolhapur is the Kuldaiwat of many families in India.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj ruled this place for many years.