Shahu IV - Legacy

Legacy

Once the late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said, "Dams are not just constructions of cement and concrete, but in fact are places of pilgrimage in the modern India." This was not the first vision towards this development as Kolhapur’s King Shahu Maharaj realized it almost 100 years before and decided to construct Radhanagari Dam, which is considered the second dam in India (next to Kallanai by Karikala Chola), on 18 February 1907. The place of the dam was decided and construction of houses for labourers and officials was started which took almost two years, so the foundation stone for the dam was laid down in 1909.

Radhanagari Dam was completed in 1935 and since 1938 has been working at full capacity. Over the years Radhanagari Dam has provided water for irrigation; after Indian independence, the nearby forest area was converted into the “Dajipur Reserve Forest” and some tourist facilities started to attract the tourists from all over India.