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Solapur (district)

Cities / Other destinations / Culture and History / Talk / Travel to Solapur (district), visa requirements / Get around / Solapur (district) attractions and sightseeing / Itineraries / City tours / Good restaurants and cheap meals / Solapur (district) nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Stay safe / Get out

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Culture and History

The Word Solapur is believed to be derived from "SOLA" meaning sixteen in local language ( Marathi ) & "PUR" meaning village. Those sixteen villages were Aadilpur, Ahmedpur, Chapaldev, Fatehpur, Jamdarwadi, Kalajapur, Khadarpur, Khandervkiwadi, Muhammadpur, Ranapur, Sandalpur, Shaikpur, Solapur, Sonalagi, Sonapur and Vaidakwadi which are now united in Municipal Corporation of Solapur.

The district is having 11 Talukas and is surrounded by Ahmednagar and Osmanabad districts in the north, Osmanabad and Gulbarga (Karnataka State) in the East, Sangli and Bijapur (Karnataka State) in the South and Pune, Satara districts in the West.

Once well known for its textile heritage, still Solapur is a good place for shopping of Chaddars, Bedsheets & towels.

Talk

Marathi is widely spoken in Solapur. Apart from Marathi, lot of people can speak Kannada as well as Telugu. Almost everyone can understand Hindi ( though they may not be able to speak ) and English. But if you are coming from other country than India, it's better to hire a local guide who can speak Marathi.

Travel to Solapur (district) - Visa Requirements

Solapur is transport hub connecting Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It is well connected by Road and Rail to major districts and cities.The national highways 9 ( Running between Pune and Hyderabad ), 13 ( Running Between Solapur and Chitradurga in Karnataka ) and 211 ( Running from Solapur to Aurangabad and further Dhule ) pass through Solapur city.

Solapur station is not a junction but nearby station Hotgi is a junction connecting Kurduwadi, Wadi & Bijapur.

There are daily trains running from Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore & Chennai to Solapur.

Tours and Getting around Solapur (district)

Solapur is a good place for religious people. You can visit Siddheshwar Temple. It will be a good experience if you visit it in winter afternoons. The Famous Vitthala Temple is in Pandharpur which is 93 km from Solapur. Also there is Swami Samarth Maharaj Temple at Akkalkot which is just 45 km from Solapur. Another temple of goddes Tuljabhavani is at Tuljapur which is 45 km from Solapur.