It’s customary to judge the size of the city based on the residing population and the geographical area covered by the city. It is now considered relatively a wrong notion by many. Cities are not made up buildings and monuments but are instead represented by the people inhabiting these cities. A size of the city should necessarily be judged by the aspirations, motivation and the competitiveness of its people. And with these parameters in mind, we can convincingly assume that India has many smaller cities with a heart of a metro. The people of such cities source their inspirations and ambitions from the bigger cities which are in the vicinity. Their visits to the metros for business, commercial purposes, education or employment reasons, or any personal reason provide exposure that ignites and fuels their ambition. For this whole thought process to realize its actualization undoubtedly requires good connectivity of the Tier I cities with the surrounding Tier II and Tier III cities. Mumbai as the biggest metro of the nation is surrounded by numerous smaller cities of latent potential, Kolhapur being one of them. On a daily basis, numerous people travel to and fro however mostly opting to travel from Mumbai to Kolhapur by bus.
Preferring to travel from Mumbai to Kolhapur by bus takes slightly over six hours with the distance being approximately 390 kilometers. Mumbai is known to all for what it is and what it stands for, but Kolhapur also has its own distinct identity. Most popularly known for its trademark Kolhapuri chappals made out of pure leather, it also has a significant textile manufacturing sector and several export-oriented units. An important center of Marathi Film industry, it has a lot of places of tourist’s interest as well. In the last decade or so the city has also become a hub of higher education for engineering, medical and management colleges dotting the city. Students from all over India come and study in these institutions.
On the Mumbai to Kolhapur bus route, all kinds of buses are available from the normal state-owned buses to the privately managed and run ultra luxurious buses. These buses are available round the clock offer greater comfort, safety, and convenience to its passengers. Since there is no direct flight between the two cities and a single direct train which takes close to 10 hours, most of the people prefer to travel from Mumbai to Kolhapur by bus.
Better road connectivity between metros and smaller cities leads to parity in growth and development.
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