Solapur (Marathi : सोलापुर) is a city and a municipal corporation in South Western Maharashtra, Indianear the Karnataka border and is the administrative headquarters of Solapur District. Solapur is one of the four districts that form the region of Western Maharashtra (the other three districts are Satara,Kolhapur and Sangli. It is the fourth largest district in Maharashtra in terms of land area (behindAhmednagar, Pune and Nagpur) and seventh largest in terms of population.^[1] Solapur is a melting point with a confluence of Marathi, Telugu and Kannadacultures. It is an important junction on the Central railway line. Solapur is a city with an array of small and medium scale industries. It has been a leading center for cotton mills and power looms, though recent times have seen these industries relocate elsewhere. Bedding accessories made in Solapur ('chaddars') have earned fame and reputation for their novel designs and durability. The chief deity of the city is Shri Siddeshwar. The "Nandidhwaj" procession on Makar Sankranti fair is attended by millions of devotees.

Solapur is transport hub connecting Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and also Tamil Nadu. It is well connected by Road and Rail to major districts and cities. Akkalkot is the site of Akkalkot Swami Maharaj Math, visited yearly by huge number of people from Maharashtra and neighbouring Karnataka. Also an annual fair is held in the month of January wherein huge crowd comes from various parts of country, which is called as Gadda Fair in vernacular language.