Akola

Akola () is a major city in the Vidarbha region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The third largest city in Eastern Maharashtra after Nagpur and Amravati, it is located about 580 kilometres (360 mi) east of the state capital, Mumbai, and 250 kilometres (160 mi) west of the second capital, Nagpur. Akola is the administrative headquarters of the Akola district located in the Amravati division. Akola is located on the banks of the Morna River. Although it is not considered a common tourist destination, Akola is an important city due to its history, culture, politics, and agriculture. It also has a prominent road and rail junction in the Tapti River valley that functions as a commercial trading centre. A National Highway Number 161, which is also termed as NH6, passes through Akola. Akola is an important educational centre with several colleges affiliated with Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University. Recently, it has become a hub of the couching classes preparing students for competitive exams like NEET and JEE aspirational students come from all nearby villages and towns. The city is developing into a market centre. The primary language spoken by the people of Akola is Varhadi Marathi while English is used mostly in educational institutions and Hindi being a lingua franca, including large number of Native Berari a branch of Deccani language which is formally recognized as dialect of Urdu language.