Solan is the district headquarters of Solan district (created on 1 September 1972) in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The largest Municipal Council of Himachal Pradesh, it is located south of the state capital, Shimla. At an average elevation of . The place is named after the Hindu goddess Shoolini devi. Every year in the month of June, a fair celebrating the goddess is held, featuring a 3-day mela at the central Thoudo grounds. Solan was the capital of the erstwhile princely state, Bhagat.