Solapur Travel Guide
India Travel Guide
Inviting tourists to enjoy a holiday witnessing exquisite architecture, stunning landscape, gorgeous Great Indian Bustard and the holy Hindu Temples, Solapur is indeed an action-packed destination in Maharashtra. This southeastern city located on Seena and Bhima Basins is warm and charming and offers tourists a lot of hues to relish.
Located in the southeastern part of Maharashtra, Solapur is a historically and religiously significant city lying in the Seena and Bhima Basins. There are many beliefs and tales behind the naming of this city. Initially it was believed that the city was spread over an area covering sixteen different villages, while some old inscriptions say Sanalpur and Sandalpur to be its initial names.
Today, this city of Maharashtra is a primary center for cotton producing mills and power looms and is also famous for its textiles making it primary travel destination for businessmen. Solapur also leads in tobacco production in Maharashtra. The city is known for tanning, wool weaving, carpentry, oil mills, bamboo, rope, pottery and leather work. All these have resulted in making Solapur into a commercially viable city of Maharashtra. It is also an important tourist centre with attractions like Akkalkot Swami Samarth Maharaj Temple, Bhuikot Fort, Rukmini Temple, Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary, Solapur Science Centre and many religious sites.
Solapur shares its borders with Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Thus, it represents a mixed culture and welcome tourists and travelers with wide opened arms and hospitality.
Locals of the city are very warm and welcoming and are also very hardworking. People of Solapur has special knack for art and literature. It has given birth to many significant achievers in the field of art and literature. Lavni and Dhangari Gaja are two important dance forms that are performed in festivals. Fair and Festivals also form core part of culture of Solapur.
Tourism in Solapur is described by its various top sightseeing places that attract travelers from all parts of the world. Some of the popular tourist places in Solapur are Akkalkot Temple, Siddheshwar Temple and Lake, Nannaji Wild Life Sanctuary, Maldhok Bird Sanctuary, Solapur Fort and Sambhaji. Shopping is a must if you are in this city that is popular for garments and jewelry.
As all the holiday guides of Solapur states clearly that the city has very well planned infrastructure and commuting options. When in Solapur, try its cuisines that are easily available in the local restaurants like Khara Mutton, various kinds of chutneys made from peanuts like Senga chutney, sheera as the dessert and many more. Most of the restaurants in Solapur offer vegetarian menu, although some do prepare non-veg delicacies.
Best Time to Visit Solapur
Solapur is one of the important cities of Maharashtra, in term of tourism as well as industrialization and commercialization. So, it is vital to have knowledge about the weather conditions of this city. Winter is the best time to visit Solapur. During the winter seasons, the temperature is just ideal for tourists to enjoy sightseeing across the city. So if you are planning your next winter vacation, you can consider a visit to this historical and religious city of Solapur.
Summer in Solapur is supposed to be very humid and temperature is generally very hot. Thus unless it is a necessity, it is best to avoid visiting Solapur during the summer season. Summer begins from the month of March and continues till May. Temperature can even rise up to 45 degree Celsius during the summer time.
Summer is followed by heavy rainfall and signifies the beginning of monsoon. June to September are the monsoon months.
Winter season brings pleasant weather conditions to Solapur. The weather condition from the month of October to March, which signifies the beginning and end of winter, is very comfortable and this is the best time to explore the city. The temperature remains comfortable ranging from 18 degree Celsius to 30 degree Celsius.
How to Reach Solapur?
By Air : The Pune International Airport is nearest to Solapur. It is well connected to other major cities like, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, and Nagpur by regular scheduled flights. Other than this, there is the Solapur Airport which can be accessed to travel within the country.
By Rail : Solapur comes within a rail network that connects Mumbai to Hyderabad. Regular trains can be availed from Solapur Railway station to reach cities like Pune, Hyderabad and Mumbai.
By Road : Located by Pune-Hyderabad national highway, the road transport facility of the city is very developed. The geographical proximity of Solapur to other cities like Pune and Hyderabad has further added to the advantage to traveling to and fro from this city. Solapur is well connected by road to other major Indian cities. The roads are well maintained and are serviced by public and private buses.