Akola Travel Guide

Akola is an important Historical, Cultural, Political, Religious, Industrial and Agricultural city in the state of Maharashtra located in the Vidarbha region in central India. It is located around 600 km east of the capital city of Maharashtra state, Mumbai (former "Bombay") and 250 km west from the city of Nagpur. Akola is the headquarters of Akola District located in Amravati Division. Akola district forms the central part of Amravati division, which corresponds to the former British Raj province of Berar.

Akola District has an area of around 543.1 square kilometres and population of 1,629,305 (2001 census). Marathi is the most popularly spoken language, though English and Hindi are also widely used. Akola District is bounded on the north and to the east by Amravati District, to the south by Washim District, and to the west by Buldhana District.

The district of Akola comprise of talukas namely Akot, Telhara, Akola, Balapur, Patur, Barshitakli and Murtajapur. Akola (also called Cotton city) is renowned for its cotton production and is the largest cotton producing district in India. The city is also famous for its Pulse or Dal, Oil and Textile mills. It is a rapidly developing and growing Market center with recently announced "Mahanagarpalika" in the Vidarbha region.

"Dainik Deshonnati" one of the leading Marathi Newspapers in Maharashtra originated from Akola. Other Newspapers published from Akola include Lokmat and Matrubhumi.

SHOPPING:

Buying or browsing, shopping in Ahmedabad is fun in itself. Meander through dozens of boutiques and gift shops on C.G. Road. During the day take your time browsing through the fascinating range of Patola silks, ethnic fabrics, silver jewellery, furniture and handicrafts. And in the evening try the Law Garden evening market for ethnic and traditional clothes and white metal jewellery. Be there by 5 P.M to have an early start. The POIs as well Teen Darwaja in old city are once again great places for antique shopping if you have the time and inclination for bargaining and don't mind the heat and dust of the crowded old city.

CLIMATE:
The climate is tropical and people mostly use cotton clothes. Annual temperatures range from a high of 48 °C (118 °F) to a low of 10 °C (50 °F). Akola lies on the Tropic of Cancer, so its very Hot during Summer season, especially in May. Most of the rainfall occurs in the Monsoon season between June to September, but some rains can also be seen during January and February.

The Morna river flows through Akola city. The Purna River forms the part of north boundary of the district, and the top north portion of the district lies within its watershed along with Aas River and Shahnur River. The Vaan River forms the part of northwest boundary of the district after entering from the Amravati district.

The Maan River drains the southwestern portion of the district, Morna River drains the midsouth portion of the district, while the southeast is drained by the Katepurna River and Uma River

EXCURSIONS:

Narnala Wildlife Sanctuary
This sanctuary is located 40-km away from the Akola city. The total covered area of the sanctuary is 12.35-sq-kms. The area is hilly and rugged consisting of Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests. Teak, Ain, Tiwas, Salai, Sawar, Erythrina, Lendia, Dhawda, Grewia, Dhaman, Buchanania, Bamboo, Kusum, Sterculia, Moha are the principal plant species in the area. The area is also rich in wild jasmine shrubs. The sanctuary is a rich habitat of Leopard, Sambar, Barking Deer, Wildboar, Serpents, Porcupines and Birds.

Akola Fort, Akola

Mahabeej Bhavan, Akola

Raj-Rajeshwar Temple, Akola

Fair and Festivals:

"Sakharam Maharaj" fair of Loni Budsuk is the important fair of this district. Other major fairs organized in different parts of this district are "Narsing Maharaj". "Arjun Awliya", "Dhengo Mengo", "Ambanath", "Moreshwar Maharaj", "Rudramani Devi", "Ramnavami", "Ganesh Utsav", "Shambhushek Mahraj", "Birbalnath Maharaj", "Qalandar Baba Urs", "Ambarnath Saint", and "Balaji".

Attractions and Places to Visit in Akola:

Shirpur
There are some important historical forts at Akola, Balapur and Karanja towns. A large number of visitors are visiting Shirpur (a large village in Washim tehsil) to see the temple of Padmaprabha, one of the 24 Tirthankars of the Jains. In addition to the above some important fairs are held in various parts of the district.

How to Reach Akola:

Air: The nearest airport is Nagpur , which is about 292-km from Akola.

Rail: Akola is on the Mumbai - Nagpur railway line.

Road: It is well connected by road with few places like Mumbai (611-km), Nagpur (250-km), Pune (468-km) etc. State transport buses ply regularly between these cities.