The Shri Mahalakshmi (AmbaBai) Templeof Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India, is one of the 108 Shakti Peethas listed in various puranas of Hinduism. The temple is of special religious significance and is considered to be a place where Shakti (goddess of empowerment) manifests and as one of only six sacred houses of Shakti where worshipers can either be freed from or granted their longings.
Located on the banks of the Panchganga River, about 140 miles (225km) south of Pune, the Kolhapur Shakti Peetha takes its name from Lakshmi, the four-armed, gemstone-adorned goddess of good fortune, the universal form of whom is Shakti. Lakshmi is endowed with six divine qualities, among them prosperity (spiritual and material). It is believed that the divine couple, Lakshmi and Vishnu reside in the area.