Solapur

Solapur is a city in the south-eastern part of the state of Maharashtra, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Solapur district and a major textile, education, and pilgrimage centre on the Deccan plateau. The city lies near the borders of Maharashtra with Karnataka and Telangana, which gives it a notably trilingual character, with Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi and Urdu all in common use.

Key facts

Etymology

The name Solapur is traditionally said to derive from a combination of Sola (sixteen) and Pur (town), referring to the sixteen villages that are believed to have merged to form the settlement: Adilpur, Chapaldev, Fatehpur, Jamdarwadi, Kalajapur, Khadarpur, Khandobachiwadi, Muhammadpur, Ranapur, Sandalpur, Shaikpur, Solapur, Sonalagi, Vaidakwadi, Sonapur and Ahmadpur. An older form of the name is Sonnalage, attested in inscriptions, which evolved through Sonnalagi and Sandalpur to the present form.

Geography and climate

Solapur lies on the Deccan plateau, on relatively flat semi-arid terrain. The Bhima river and its tributary the Sina pass through the district. The city falls within a rain-shadow belt and experiences a hot, dry climate for most of the year, with summer temperatures regularly among the highest recorded in Maharashtra. The monsoon, from June to September, brings limited rainfall.

History

The region around Solapur has been ruled successively by the Chalukyas, the Yadavas of Devagiri, the Bahmani Sultanate, the Adil Shahis of Bijapur, the Marathas, the Nizam of Hyderabad, and finally the British, under whom it formed part of the Bombay Presidency.

The Bhuikot fort in the city, originally built during the Bahmani period and expanded under later rulers, is among its most prominent historical structures. Solapur is closely associated with the Indian freedom movement: in May 1930, after the arrest of local leaders during the Civil Disobedience Movement, the city briefly came under the control of citizens, and martial law was imposed. Four activists — Mallappa Dhanshetti, Kurban Hussain, Jagannath Shinde and Shrikisan Sarda — were sentenced to death and hanged in January 1931, and are commemorated as the Hutatma (martyrs) of Solapur.

Economy

Solapur is historically a major centre of the Indian cotton textile industry. It is particularly known for power-loom production of chaddars (bedspreads), terry towels and other made-up textiles, with a large cluster of small and medium units. Solapuri chaddars and Solapur terry towels carry Geographical Indication recognition.

Other significant economic activities include the beedi industry, which has historically employed a large workforce in and around the city, agro-processing (oilseeds, pulses and sugar), cement and engineering. NTPC operates a large thermal power station in the district at Fatatewadi.

Transport

• Rail: Solapur Junction is a major divisional headquarters of the Central Railway on the Mumbai–Chennai and Mumbai–Hyderabad routes.
• Road: The city is served by National Highway 65 (Pune–Hyderabad) and National Highway 52, and is connected by state highways to Pune, Hyderabad, Bijapur and Tuljapur.
• Air: Solapur Airport at Hotgi Road provides limited civil aviation services.

Education

Solapur hosts Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Solapur University (formerly Solapur University), established in 2004, along with several engineering, medical, law and arts colleges affiliated to it. Older institutions include Dayanand College, Walchand College of Arts and Science, and Walchand Institute of Technology. Schools in the city include institutions run by the Lokmangal, Hyderabad (Sind) National Collegiate Board and Vidya Prabodhini trusts, among others.

Culture and religion

The city is best known religiously for the Siddheshwar temple, dedicated to the 12th-century Lingayat saint Siddheshwar, around which the annual Gadda Yatra fair is held in January. Solapur is also a stop on pilgrim routes to Pandharpur, the seat of Vithoba, and to Tuljapur, the seat of the goddess Tulja Bhavani, both of which lie within or close to the district.

The trilingual Marathi–Kannada–Telugu cultural mix, along with a substantial Muslim and Lingayat population, gives the city a distinctive composite identity, reflected in its cuisine (notably shenga chutney, jowar bhakri and kadak bhakri), folk traditions and festivals.

Civic administration

Urban governance is carried out by the Solapur Municipal Corporation, which administers the twin urban areas of Solapur city and Solapur North (the former North Sholapur). The city is divided between two Lok Sabha constituencies — Solapur and Madha — and includes the Solapur City North, Solapur City Central and Solapur City South Vidhan Sabha constituencies, along with surrounding rural seats.

Related topics

• Solapur district
• Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Solapur University
• Pandharpur
• Tuljapur
• Maharashtra
• Vidya Prabodhini School, Solapur

References

• Wikidata entity: Q237847
• Government of Maharashtra, Solapur district administration.
• Solapur Municipal Corporation, official publications.