Kankavli is a census town in Sindhudurg district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is an important town due to its central location in the Sindhudurg district. All talukas are at an equal distance from Kankavli. There is a temple of Swyambhu Ravalnath and Shri Bhalchandra Maharaj. The town is situated in between two west flowing rivers which carry roaring gushing waters on their rockbed to Arabian sea in monsoon.It is a culturally, educationally and socially rich and vibrant town.A veteran Gandhian Shri Appasaheb Patwardhan founded Gopuri Ashram near Kankavli with principles of Swadeshi,Swatchhata,Swawlamban and Sarvodaya in 1948.Kankavli is equally located from Kolhapur and Ratnagiri.This is one of the important railway stations on Konkan railway route and major towns on NH 66.Maharashtra's ex- Chief Minister Shri.Narayan Rane also hails from this area.
Etymology
The name Kankavli is derived from Sanskrit name 'Kanakavalli' which means golden land..
Location and weather
Kankavli is located in south-west Maharashtra. It has an elevation of 42 metres. Kankavli is situated on the banks of two Rivers, the Gad River and the Janavli River. It is surrounded by villages like Natal, Nagawe, Bidwadi, Kalmath, and Halval. It is an important railway station on the Konkan Railway route as major trains stop here. Kankavli town is 441 km from Mumbai along the NH 66 and 125.1 km from Ratnagiri. Kankavli's climate is a blend of coastal and inland climate of Maharashtra. The temperature has a relatively narrow range between 20 °C to 40 °C. Weather in Kankavli from October to May is humid. Maximum temperatures rarely exceed 40 °C and typically range between 33 and 35 °C. Lows during this season are around 20 °C to 26 °C. The city receives abundant rainfall from June to September due to its proximity to the Western Ghats and Arabian Sea. Temperatures are low in the rainy season and range between 19 °C to 30 °C. The winter temperatures are a bit higher compared to other towns. Lows range from 12 °C to 18 °C while highs are in the range of 26 °C to 32 °C. Humidity is low in this season making weather much more pleasant. Flooding is not a problem as Kankavli lies on a higher altitude than the sea level.
Indiacensus, Kankavli had a population of 16398. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Kankavli is the third biggest town in Sindhudurg District after Sawantwadi and Malvan. Kankavli has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 79%, and female literacy is 74%. In Kankavli, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Climate
Politics
Kankavli Town is centrally located from Kolhapur and Ratnagiri. Kankavli has recently come into the limelight as a result of politics. It is a Vidhansabha constituency of former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Mr.Narayan Rane and had witnessed many political disputes between political party members due to dynamic changes in the state's politics in recent times. Kankavli has its own Nagarpanchayat , a Panchayat Samitee office, Tehsildar Office, Taluka Court, and other administrative offices. Mr. Vinayak Raut is the MP from the Ratnagiri - Sindhudurg Loksabha Constituency. Mr.Nitesh Narayan Rane is the MLA from the Kankavli-Devgad Vidhansabha Constituency.
