Solapur is a city in the southwestern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra, near the border with Karnataka. Solapur is located on major highways and railway lines between Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad, with a branch line to the cities of Kalaburagi and Vijayapura in the neighboring state of Karnataka. Solapur International Airport is under construction. It is classified as A1 level and B-1 class city under the House Rent Allowance (HRA) classification of the Government of India. It is the seventh largest urban agglomeration in Metropolis and the eleventh most populous city in Maharashtra, as well as the 43rd largest urban agglomeration and the 49th most populous city in India.
Solapur leads Maharashtra in beedi production. Solapuri chadars and towels are famous not only in India but also globally, but there has been a significant decline in exports due to quality issues. “Solapuri chadars” are the first product in Maharashtra to be sold with a geographical indication tag. It was a leading center for cotton mills and power looms in Maharashtra. Solapur had the second largest spinning mill in the world and the largest in Asia. The National Research Center on Pomegranate (NRCP) of India is situated in Solapur and pomegranate cultivation is widely practiced in Solapur district. Kegaon Science Center (Solapur) is the third largest and most prominent scientific society in Maharashtra. The Raichur-Solapur power transmission line with a capacity of 765 kV will meet the grid access needs of the southern states of Karanataka and Andhra Pradesh. The first waste-to-energy power plant in Maharashtra is located in Solapur.
The Gramadevata (supreme deity) of the city is Shri Shivyogi Siddheshwar. The "Nandidhwaj" procession at the Hindu festival of Makar Sankranti and consequently an annual fair known locally as Gadda Yatra attracts large crowds and is associated with the wedding of Lord Siddheshwar. In 1992, the Solapur Municipal Corporation expanded its area to 300 square kilometers (120 sq mi) by merging the suburbs. Solapur has the Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary.
