It is said that a mother is the almighty, able to love infinitely. She can tend to a broken heart and can rebuild life out of ruins; she is a place of hope. Millions from across the country come to Kolhapur for a glimpse of this energy, this hope in the form of an image mounted on a stone platform, carved in black. She is the goddess Mahalakshmi of Kolhapur, considered to be the reason for the prosperity of this city, bringing crowds flocking to the temple at all times of the day!