New Palace, Kolhapur, Royal palace and museum in Kolhapur, India.

The New Palace is a royal building with stone walls, an octagonal tower structure at the center, and colored glass windows, surrounded by landscaped lawns and tree groups. The museum inside extends over several floors, with galleries showing traditional paintings, royal garments, and historical writings from the Maratha rulers' era.

The New Palace was built between 1877 and 1884, taking seven years and costing about seven lakh rupees. It is constructed in contrasting basalt and sandstone, with a clock fixed on its central tower in 1877. The palace now houses the Shahaji Chhatrapati Museum on its ground floor and remains the residence of Shahu, a direct descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The Chatrapati Shahu Maharaj Hall on the ground floor displays jewelry, weapons, and personal items of the royal family, while rooms feature teak carvings and Belgian chandeliers. The architecture brings together European arches with Indian courtyards, letting visitors walk through rooms where Maharaja ceremonies took place.

The palace stands on Bhausingji Road, about 1.5 km north of the city centre, and can be reached by rickshaw or taxi. The Shahaji Chhatrapati Museum occupies the ground floor, so most of the collection is seen on one level. The grounds also hold a garden, fountain, wrestling ground, zoo and lake, which means a fair amount of walking outdoors.

A room on the upper floor holds a collection of old coins and a rare library with handwritten manuscripts in Modi script once used by Maratha officials. The ceiling of the central tower displays a circular stained glass pattern that casts light onto the floor, creating a colored mosaic that shifts with the sun.