Solapur District is situated on the south-east border of
Maharashtra. With an area of 14,844 sq km, it has a population of over 3.2 million. Solapur District is bordered by
Ahmednagar District and
Osmanabad District in the north,
Sangli District in the south,
Satara District and
Pune District in the west and Gulbarga District of the state of Karnataka in the east. It is a famous center for handloom, power loom and beedi industries.
The major folk-arts are Lavani, Gondhal and Dhangiri.
Solapur receives an annual rainfall of over 54 cm and the temperature varies from 9o C to 44o C. Bhima is the main river. The languages spoken are
Marathi and
Hindi. Jowar, wheat, tur and groundnut are the chief crops.
The major tourist attractions are Siddheshwar Temple, Akkalkot,
Pandharpur, Maldhok Wildlife Sanctuary, Kudal Sangam, Ramling and Velapur.
