Akola District is located in the north central part of
Maharashtra. It is bordered by
Amaravati District in the north,
Yavatmal District in the east,
Parbhani District in the south and
Buldhana District in the west. Situated on the banks of Murna River, it is an important educational center with several colleges affiliated to the University of
Nagpur. The temperature varies from 21° C to 34° C.
Marathi and
Varhadi are the languages spoken. With an area of 5,431 sq km, Akola has a population of over 1.6 million. Cotton, jowar, soyabean, tur, udad, moong and bajra are the major crops.
Bhajan, Keertan, Shahiri, Gondhal, Bharud and Jogava are the major folk-arts. The famous Mahabeej factory, producing super-quality seeds and Vidarbha’s only Agriculture University are situated in Akola District. Narnala fort in Akot taluk, Antariksh Teerth of Shirpur, Rajrajeshwar temple and the irrigation project in Mahan on Katepurna river are some of the tourist attractions.