Solapur is a district in the state of Maharashtra. The district headquarters are located at the city of Solapur. It is located on the south east edge of the state and lies entirely in the Bhima and Seena basins. The entire district is drained by the Bhima River.

Beedi production is maximum in this district. Through industry and education, the paths of development have been adopted by Kundalsangam, Karmala and Barshi. There is a temple called Mallikarjun Temple in Akkalkot where many lingayat devotees worship daily. Lord Vitthal is the presiding deity of Maharashtra and is at Pandharpur in this district. People from all walks of life follow Swami Samarth of Akkalkot. Owing to many talented weavers present in this area, Solapur is also a textile town. It is an important railway junction on the North-South train line.

It is 458 meters above sea level. Ahmednagar borders the district on the north; Osmanabad district on the North and Northeast; Gulbarga district on the Southeast and South; Sangli district on the South and Southwest; Satara district on the West and Pune district on the Northwest. Solapur is situated on the Deccan Plateau. It is 410 kilometers from Mumbai, 245 kilometers from Pune and 305 kilometers from Hyderabad.

Solapur History

Solapur is an ancient historical and religious place with Shri Siddharameshwar as its "Gramadaiwata". Shri Siddharameshwar was a historical figure of the 12th century whos "Karmayoga" on his own native land-Solapur, turned him into a God-figure over the course of time. Siddharama was one of the six prophets of Lingayat religion. He had gained the "Siddhi". Solapur used to be affected by droughts. To cure this problem, Shri Siddharameshwar dug a lake with the help of 4000 "Sharanas" to solve the problem of potable water. He entombed himself alive at Solapur.

The people of Solapur enjoyed full freedom on 9th, 10 and 11 May 1930 during the Indian Independence Movement. Shri Mallappa Dhanshetti, Shri Kurban Hussein, Shri Jagannath Shinde and Shri Kisan Sarda were executed on January 12, 1931 in a prison at Pune. This resulted in the city becoming recognized as "The City of Hutatmas".

Solapur Culture

Solapur has had a distinct multi-ethnic, multilingual community for a long time. Languages spoken are Telugu, Kannada, Wadari, Gujarati, Sindhi, Hindi and Dakni with Marathi being the prime one. They have a unique style of celebrating marriages. Irrespective of common cultures nearby, wedding ceremonies are performed in a very dignified and minimalist way irrespective of cast and crews.

People still use tangas as public transportation. Many young and educated people work in Pune, Mumbai and Hyderabad due to proximity to these places and availability of jobs. Nuclear families are increasingly finding a place in Solapur's society.

Solapur Climate

Solapur experiences dry climate. Three distinct seasons are experienced. Summers last from March to May with maximum temperature ranging from 30 to 40 C. The warmest months in Solapur are April and May. The highest temperature ever recorded was 48 degrees in April 1988. The city often receives locally developed heavy thundershowers in May although humidity remains high. Moderate rainfall takes place in the months of June to September due to monsoons. The city of Solapur receives an average rainfall of 545 mm per year. Winter begins in November and last until the end of February with the temperatures occasionally dropping below 10 C. the earthquake prone zone of Killari is 100 kilometers from Solapur.

Solapur Tourism

Tourist places in Solapur
Siddheshwar Temple and lake, Solapur
Solapur Fort (Bhuikot Killa)- Fort built by Bahamani sultan
Pandharpur (Lord Vithoba Temple)
Akkalkot (Swami Samarth Maharaj Temple)
Barshi
Maldhok wildlife sanctuary, Nannaj
Ramling - Lord Mahadeo Temple
Gangapur - Shri Dattatreya Temple
Dahigaun - Jain Temple
Walchand Institute of Technology Solapur
Hirachand Nemchand College of Commerce
Kudalsangam- beautiful temple of lord shiv and 1000 linga on a single linga
Wadwal- Wadval siddha Nagnath temple
Lord Venkateshwara Temple - Daji Peth In Solapur
Akluj- Shiv Srushti
Shivpuri- agnihotra ashram at Akkalkot
Sambhaji Lake
Sayajiraje Park