Mahalaxmi Temple, also known as the Ambabai Temple, is Kolhapur's main pilgrimage site and one of the important Shakti shrines in India. The temple's origins go back to the Chalukya period, with later additions by the Yadavas and a 19th-century Garuda Mandap.
The temple is busiest during festivals and weekends. Daily rituals begin early in the morning and continue through the day, so even a short visit gives a strong sense of the temple's living religious role.