Location: North Central Part of Maharashtra
Nearby Attractions: Temple Of Padmaprabha, Narnala Wildlife Sanctuary
Best Time To Visit: October to June
Significance: An Important Commercial Trading Center Especially for Cotton
Akola City is located in the north central part of Maharashtra state, western India, on the banks of Murna River and it is an important district in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra State. An important road and rail junction in the Tapti River valley, it is a commercial trading center chiefly in cotton. Akola is an important educational center with several colleges affiliated with the University of Nagpur.
The city of Akola is the district headquarters of Akola district. Amravati district in the north, Amravati and Yavatmal districts in the east, Parbhani and parts of Yavatmal districts in the South and Buldhana district in the West surround it. Main languages spoken in the Akola are Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Sindhi, and Urdu.

PRIME ATTRACTIONS

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.

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.

HOW TO GET THERE

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.

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

GENERAL INFORMATION