Sira, India
Encyclopedia
Sira is a town and taluk headquarters of Sira Taluk
of Tumkur district
in the state
of Karnataka
, India
. It lies on the National Highway NH-4
(Mumbai
- Chennai
) and NH-234 (Mangalore
- Villupuram).
, Sira had a population of 50,056. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Sira has an average literacy rate of 67%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 72%, and female literacy is 62%. In Sira, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
.
The foundation of the town and the fort is attributed to Rangappa Nayaka, a chief of Ratnagiri. The previous name of the town was Siriya.
It was ruled by the Bijapur Kings from 1638 to 1687. It was the capital of the erstwhile Suba
or Province of Sira
of the Mughal Empire
that lasted from 1687 to 1757. The Marathas wrested the province from Mughals and held it from 1757 to 1759, when the Mughals regained it. Haidar Ali declared himself the Nawab of the province in 1761 only to lose it to the Marathas from 1766 until 1774 when his son Tipu Sultan
, captured it for him .
Sira Taluk
Sira is a taluk of Tumkur district in the state of Karnataka, India. Its headquarters, Sira town lies on the National Highway NH-4 .-History:Sira was politically and militarily an important region of south India prior to the British Raj....
of Tumkur district
Tumkur district
Tumkur district is an administrative district in the state of Karnataka in India. The district headquarters are located at Tumkur. The district occupies an area of 10,598 km² and had a population of 2,584,711, of which 19.62% were urban as of 2001...
in the state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It lies on the National Highway NH-4
National Highway 4 (India)
National Highway 4 is a major National Highway in Western and Southern India. NH 4 links four of the 10 most populous Indian cities - Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Chennai. NH 4 is in length and passes through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.NH 4 constitutes...
(Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
- Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
) and NH-234 (Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
- Villupuram).
Geography
Sira is located at 13.75°N 76.91°E. It has an average elevation of 662 metres (2171 feet).Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Sira had a population of 50,056. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Sira has an average literacy rate of 67%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 72%, and female literacy is 62%. In Sira, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
History
Sira Town was one of south India's strategically important places prior to the British RajBritish Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
.
The foundation of the town and the fort is attributed to Rangappa Nayaka, a chief of Ratnagiri. The previous name of the town was Siriya.
It was ruled by the Bijapur Kings from 1638 to 1687. It was the capital of the erstwhile Suba
Suba
-Groups of people:*Suba , a people of Kenya**Suba language*Suba , a people of Tanzania-Individual people:*Suba , Mitar Subotić, a Serbian-Brazilian musician*Mihai Șubă, Romanian chess grandmaster-Places:...
or Province of Sira
Province of Sira
The Province of Sira in southern India was a province of the Mughal empire that was established in 1687 and lasted until 1757. The province, which comprised the Carnatic region south of the Tungabhadra river, had its capital in the town of Sira...
of the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
that lasted from 1687 to 1757. The Marathas wrested the province from Mughals and held it from 1757 to 1759, when the Mughals regained it. Haidar Ali declared himself the Nawab of the province in 1761 only to lose it to the Marathas from 1766 until 1774 when his son Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
, captured it for him .
Historical places in Sira Town
Like most other places of historical importance in India, Sira also has structures built by its erstwhile rulers. Among them are the Sira fort, Eidgah, Juma Masjid and the dargah or tomb over the grave of Mallik Rehan, who was the Subahdar of Sira. The Jumma Masjid and the tomb of Malik Rihan (1651 A.D) are fine structures built in the Mughal style of architecture.- Kasturi Rangappa Nayaka Fort: This beautiful fort is named after the 'Nayaka' ruler. It is symbolic of the hold the Nayaka community rulers once had on Sira. The fort is also a good structure of stone with a moat all round. The ruins of a large quarter, to which tradition assigns the name of Latapura can still be seen to the north-west of the fort. The main image of the Gopalakrishna temple here has been removed to the newly built Narayana temple and a good figure of Hanuman, brought from some other place has been set up instead. The object of worship in the Durga temple is an ant hill.
- Khan Bagh:A fine garden called the Khan Bagh was founded here by Dilavar Khan, an officer under the Mughuls. This was kept up by Haider and might have suggested the Lalbagh garden at Bangalore.
- Ibrahim Rauza: It contains many tombs and looks like a Hindu monument except for the minarets.
- Mallik Rehan 'dargah' : This is mausoleum over the erstwhile Sira province's governor Mallik Rehan's grave. Mallik Rehan was the Subahdar or Governor of Sira from 1638 to 1650. Some locals revere Mallik Rehan as a pious man and call him Hazrath Mallik Rehan Rahmatullah Alai. This monument is protected by Archeological Survey of India (ASI).
- Juma or Jamia Masjid: This was constructed during the period of Mallik Rehan. This monument is also protected by ASI
ASI-Names:* ASI Solutions, an Australian IT company* Asi, a Russian name for the Ossetians* Asi, another name for the Orontes River* Asi language, a language spoken by Bantoanons from the island of Banton, Philippines...
. - Bada (the big) Eidgah
- Seebi: Formerly known as Sibur and Harihararayapura, the Seebi village is midway (24km) between Tumkur town and Sira Towns along the Bangalore-Mumbai National Highway. It has a big stone temple of Narasimhaswamy. The image of Narasimha in the temple is in the form of a saligrama. The ten avataras of Vishnu, the leelas (sports) of Shiva and the scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata are painted on the beams and ceilings of the temple. These paintings appear to be of the latter part of the 18th century A.D. caused to be drawn by one Nallappa, an officer under Tipu SultanTipu SultanTipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
. They are contemporaneous to the paintings at Srirangapattana. (Source: Karnataka State Gazetteer 1983)
See also
- Sira TalukSira TalukSira is a taluk of Tumkur district in the state of Karnataka, India. Its headquarters, Sira town lies on the National Highway NH-4 .-History:Sira was politically and militarily an important region of south India prior to the British Raj....
- Province of SiraProvince of SiraThe Province of Sira in southern India was a province of the Mughal empire that was established in 1687 and lasted until 1757. The province, which comprised the Carnatic region south of the Tungabhadra river, had its capital in the town of Sira...
- TumkurTumkurTumkur is one of the busiest industrial towns located in the state of Karnataka. Since 28 August 2010, Tumkur has been accorded the status of a Corporation city. It is situated at a distance of 70 kilometers north west of the city of Bangalore along National Highway 4...
- Tumkur DistrictTumkur districtTumkur district is an administrative district in the state of Karnataka in India. The district headquarters are located at Tumkur. The district occupies an area of 10,598 km² and had a population of 2,584,711, of which 19.62% were urban as of 2001...
- Taluks of KarnatakaTaluks of KarnatakaKarnataka has about 175 TaluksThe table below lists all the Taluks in Karnataka state of India, district wise.The Urban Status follows the following standard,C.M.C. = City Municipal CorporationT.M.C. = Town Municipal CorporationT.P. = Taluk Panchayat...