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Also spelt Sholapur, administrative headquarters of Solapur
district are located on the banks of the Sina River in
Maharashtra state. The city is located on
major road and rail routes between Mumbai and
Hyderabad, with a branch line to Bijapur and Gadag. Solapur developed as a
commercial centre for cotton and other agricultural produce.
Solapur is a major city of Maharashtra and is an important centre of
Jains. The area, which now forms Solapur district, was formerly part of
Ahmadnagar, Pune and Satara
districts. It is influenced by its geography and the area is largely
consists of plains. The river Bhima flows from northwest to the southeast
and Sina River also flows from it. The southwest and northeast parts of
the district are arid areas. Solapur is meeting ground for
Maharashtra and Karnataka and from very old
times the trade routes passed across Solapur district.
There are 8 famous Digamabar Jain temples at Solapur two are at Sukervar
peth, one in Kasagi, one at Shravikashram, one at Bhusari and Seth
Sakharamji temple. Solapur bed-sheets have earned fame and reputation for
their novel designs and durability. The chief deity of the city is Shri
Siddeshwar. 
As per the mythological literary sources the region south
of Godavari was covered with thick forest and was inhabited by the
aboriginal. Agastya was the first Aryan who crossed the Vindhya Mountains
and settled on the banks of Godavari followed by other sages who
established their hermitages in the different regions of the south. In
early centuries the city belonged to the Hindu Chalukyas and Devagiri
Yadavas, but later became a part of the Bahamani and Bijapur kingdoms.
Vairag village in Barshi tehsil situated at a distance of 14 miles to the
south east of Barshi and 30 miles to the North of Solapur is a meeting
place of saints of Nath Sect who have renunciated worldly life for
meditation. Because of this particular aspect the village seems to have
been named as 'Vairag'.
Solapur is a place with historical, religious, industrial
and commercial importance. A number of objects of interest found in the
city are Ground fort, Siddheshwar temple, Mallikarjuna temple, Parasnath
temple, Adinath temple, Masjids, Churches and Agyari.
Akkalkot is considered to be an important center of Datta. The
Vatavriksha Temple of Shri Swami Samartha and Akkalkot Swami math are
important religious places, which are visited by many devotees.
Phandharpur the city of Pandhavi Vithoba is another most important
pilgrimage center for the whole of India. It ranks first among the fairs
in the state with an aggregate congregation of four to five lakh on
Ashadhi and Kartiki Ekadasi. 
Rail: Solapur is a distance of 456-km from the
Mumbai on the main broad gauge rail line of
Central railway connecting Mumbai and Chennai.
Road: It is also well connected by road. State transport ply buses
from major cities of the state like Mumbai ,
Aurangabad , Pune
to Solapur.
Counted among one of the well developed cities of the Maharashtra state, Sholapur has got quite good options for accommodation, which vary from luxurious 5 star hotels to reasonable budget hotels.
A fair is held at Saint nath temple in honour of Saint Nath for a period of 6 days from shravana shud 11 to Vad 1. About 20 to 25 thousand people attend this fair. Nandidhwaj procession on Makar Sankranti is also attended by millions of, devotes.
| Temperature Range (Deg °c) | Maximum | Minimum |
| Summer: | 42° C | 28º C |
| Winter: | 27° C | 13° C |
| Latitude: | 17° 42¢ to 18° 32¢ | |
| Longitude: | 74° 33¢ to 76° 54¢ | |
| Clothing: | Light Cotton and Woollen in winter | |
| STD Code: | 0217 | |
| Area: | 14895 sq. kms (district) | |
| Population: | 604,215 (1991 Census | |
| Climate: | Tropical | |
| Rainfall: | Average 897.8 mm | |
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