Solapur

Solapur ( ) is a city located in the south-western region of the Indian state of Maharashtra, close to its border with Karnataka. Solapur is located on a major highway, rail routes between Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad, with a branch line to the cities of Kalaburagi and Vijayapura in the neighbouring state of Karnataka. Solapur Airport (SSE) was inaugurated on 29 September 2024. It is classified as A1 Tier and B-1 class city by House Rent Allowance (HRA) classification by the Government of India. It is the seventh biggest Metropolis Urban Agglomeration and 11th most populated city in Maharashtra as well as 43rd largest urban agglomeration and 49th most populous city in India. Solapur leads Maharashtra in production of beedi (a type of cigarette). Solapuri Chadars and towels are famous not only in India but also at a global level, however there has been a significant decline in their exports due to quality issues. "Solapuri chadars" are the first product in Maharashtra to get a Geographical Indication tag It has been a leading centre for cotton mills and power looms in Maharashtra. Solapur had the world's second-largest and Asia's largest spinning mill. The National Research Centre on Pomegranate (NRCP) of India is located in Solapur. and pomegranate farming is done on a large scale in Solapur city.…

Solapur ( ) is a city located in the south-western region of the Indian state of Maharashtra, close to its border with Karnataka. Solapur is located on a major highway, rail routes between Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad, with a branch line to the cities of Kalaburagi and Vijayapura in the neighbouring state of Karnataka. Solapur Airport (SSE) was inaugurated on 29 September 2024. It is classified as A1 Tier and B-1 class city by House Rent Allowance (HRA) classification by the Government of India. It is the seventh biggest Metropolis Urban Agglomeration and 11th most populated city in Maharashtra as well as 43rd largest urban agglomeration and 49th most populous city in India. Solapur leads Maharashtra in production of beedi (a type of cigarette). Solapuri Chadars and towels are famous not only in India but also at a global level, however there has been a significant decline in their exports due to quality issues. "Solapuri chadars" are the first product in Maharashtra to get a Geographical Indication tag It has been a leading centre for cotton mills and power looms in Maharashtra. Solapur had the world's second-largest and Asia's largest spinning mill. The National Research Centre on Pomegranate (NRCP) of India is located in Solapur. and pomegranate farming is done on a large scale in Solapur city. The Science Centre in Kegaon (Solapur) is the third largest and prominent scientific association in Maharashtra. The Raichur-Solapur Power Transmission line of 765 kV power capacity suffices the power grid accessing need of the southern states of Karanataka and Telangana. The first waste-to-energy electricity plant in Maharashtra is situated in Solapur. The Gramadevata (Chief deity) of the city is Shri Shivyogi Siddheshwar. The "Nandi-dhawaj" procession on the Hindu festival of Makar Sankranti and on account of it an annual fair locally known as Gadda Yatra attracts large crowds and is associated with the marriage of Lord Siddheshwar. Solapur has the Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary.

Etymology

The Solapur (anciently called sonnalage) District was ruled by various dynasties such as Andhrabhratyas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Yadavas and Bahamanis. 'Solapur' spelled in (Marathi: सोलापूर is believed to be derived from the combination of two words: Sola / सोला in Marathi means "sixteen" and "Pura / पुर" means "village". The present city of Solapur was considered to be spread over sixteen villages viz. Aadilpur, Ahmedpur, Chapaldev, Fatehpur, Jamdarwadi, Kalajapur, Khadarpur, Khandervkiwadi, Muhammadpur, Ranapur, Sandalpur, Shaikpur, Solapur, Sonallagi, Sonapur and Vaidakwadi and all these villages are now merged with Solapur Municipal Corporation. The inscriptions of chief deity of Solapur Shivyogi Shri. Siddheshwar of the time of the Kalachuri (Basavakalyan) suggest that the town was called "Sonnalage" which came to be pronounced as "Sonnalagi". A Sanskrit inscription dated Shake 1238, after the downfall of the Yadavas found at Kamati in Mohol shows that the town was known as Sonalipur. One of the inscriptions found in Solapur fort shows that the town was called Sonalpur. It was the main commercial hub of the Devagiri Yadavas and an important trading city. The town was known as Sonnalagi even up to the times of the Yadavas of Devagiri. It is evident from the inscriptions of Shivayogi Lord Siddheshwar of the time of the Kalachuristis of Kalyani, that the town was called 'Sonnalage', an old Kannada name, which came to be pronounced as 'Sonnalagi'. The town was known as Sonnalagi even up to the times of Yadavas. A Sanskrit inscription dated (Sanskrit:शके १२३८) Śakē 1238, after the downfall of the Yadavas found at Kamati in Mohol shows that the town was known as Sonalipur.

Culture

Solapur is a city with tri-linguistic blend of Marathi, Kannada and Telugu language multi-cultural features. Most of the People follow Marathi Culture and Tradition. It also has cultural impact of neighbouring states Karnataka and Telangana.

Demographics

As per 2011 census of Solapur city, the population of Solapur in 2011 was 951,558. Solapur has a sex ratio of 978 females per 1000 males and a literacy rate of 82.80%. 11.49% of the population is under 6 years of age. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 14.51% and 1.89% of the population respectively. At the time of the 2011 census, 42.29% of the population spoke Marathi, 17.03% Telugu, 12.67% Kannada, 11.89% Hindi, 11.28% Urdu and 1.05% Vadari as their first language. Solapur's population, with the inclusion of its suburbs, increased to 1,250,000 reorganized in 2012. (http://solapur.gov.in/htmldocs/1977/people_population.html, http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-16.html)

Geography and climate

Solapur is located at . It has an average elevation of 458 metres (1502 feet). It is bordered by Ahmednagar district on the north; Osmanabad district on the north and northeast. Kalaburagi district on the southeast and Bijapur Districts on the south of Karnataka State, Sangli district on the south and southwest; Satara district on the west, and Pune district on the northwest. It is situated at a distance of from the Maharashtra State Capital of Mumbai by road and train. Solapur is at a distance of from Pune and from Hyderabad. Solapur is situated on the Deccan Plateau. Solapur falls under the category of dry (arid and semiarid) climate according to the Köppen climate classification. The city experiences three distinct seasons: summer, monsoon and winter. Typical summer months are from March to May, with maximum temperatures ranging from . The warmest months in Solapur are April and May. The typical maximum temperatures being or more. The highest temperature ever recorded is in May 1988. Although summer does not end until May or even the midst of June, the city often receives locally developed heavy thundershowers in May (although humidity remains high). The monsoon lasts from June to the end of September, with moderate rainfall. The city of Solapur receives an average rainfall of per year. Winter begins in November and lasts until the end of February, with the temperatures occasionally dropping below . Solapur lies very close to the seismically active zone around Killari, Latur District, about east of the city. Solapur has been ranked 20th best "National Clean Air City" under (Category 2 3-10L Population cities) in India.

Civic administration

The civic administration of the city is managed by the Solapur Municipal Corporation, which was established on the Maharashtra Day of 1 May 1964 in the building constructed by Mallappa Warad in 1930. The corporation oversees the engineering works, health, sanitation, water supply, administration and taxation in the city. It is headed by a mayor who is assisted by municipal commissioner and elected representatives. The city is divided into 135 wards and 6 zones. The corporation members also known as corporators are elected by the citizens of Solapur every five years. The corporators, in turn, elect the mayor. Its activities include developing new layouts and roads, town-planning and land-acquisition. As Solapur is one of the most important city for the transportation towards south and north India, here it's essential for the State and Central Government to develop this District.

Sports

Tennis - Annually women's professional tennis ITF Championship held at Solapur, it is known as Solapur Open women's ITF $25K Tennis tournament. It is hard Court tournament, happens at outdoor tennis courts. It is grade T2 championship. 2021 US Open championship Emma Raducanu participated in it in 2019. Cricket - Indira Gandhi Stadium in Solapur, formerly known as Park Stadium, hosts Ranji Trophy matches and is the home venue for Maharashtra cricket team. Wrestling - Indian styled wrestling is played in this town and town's wrestlers emerged as victorious in state level tournaments.

Economy

Solapur is located at an important junction of the north–south railway line which provides good transportation infrastructure for trade and industry. There are a number of medium and small-scale industries found in the district, and it is one of the prime centers of the handloom and powerloom industry, cotton mills and the beedi industry. Rapier Terry Towels is now also an emerging industry in Solapur. Solapur is well known for the bed sheets produced here and has a reputation for the same. Textiles are an important aspect of the economy. As the epic growing part in the industrial sector, Sanghvi Towels are known as the parents of Rapier industries. They introduced the city how to go with the flow of changing demands of the Terry Towels market, following it many business houses have changed to Rapier Industries and now Rapier Chaddar Looms have been also introduced to the weaving sector by Bomdyal Textiles. The city is home to Precision Camshafts Limited one of the largest manufacturers in camshafts in the world. In the agricultural field, the district has a well-established market in oilseeds.

Environment

Solapur is one of the most-polluted cities in Maharashtra due to the effluent chemicals produced as the waste products from the textile industries in its region. As many vehicles in the city utilise diesel fuel, it also generates tremendous smog emitted by sugar factories and heavy textiles industries in the city's suburb. Various efforts are being made by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to reduce air pollution and its environmental effects. The city has launched a GO-GREEN scheme by planting trees in the city and developing greenery with the help of various eco-friendly people in the city. CNG will be available shortly soon in MIDC Chincholi and some major area in Solapur .

Notable people

References

External links

Solapur Government Site

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1378367957 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.