Sirsa

Sirsa has been identified with two earlier names: Sarsūti in medieval sources and Śairīṣaka in ancient literature. Sarsūti appears to come from the name of the Sarasvati River, which once flowed near Sirsa. Ancient texts mentioning Śairīṣaka include the Mahābhārata, where it is mentioned as one of the places conquered by Nakula; the Aṣṭādhyāyī of Pāṇini; and the Divyāvadāna. The name Śairīṣaka may be derived from the siris tree, Albizia lebbeck, which is common in the area. Another local tradition holds that the town and its fort were founded by a 7th-century king named Saras and subsequently named after him. ==History==

There are two adjacent archaeological mounds on the southwest side of present-day Sirsa, but archaeologists have not excavated them; therefore, the origins of the settlement at Sirsa remain unknown. However, some isolated discoveries have been made at the Sirsa mounds. The oldest find is a terracotta toy wheel, discovered in 1988, that archaeologists believe dates back to the Iron Age Painted Grey Ware culture ( 1200-600 BCE). Four terracotta figures, including three depicting women and one depicting a tree (possibly a kalpataru motif), are dated to roughly the time of the Maurya and Shunga dynasties. Numerous copper coins of the Yaudheya and Kushan periods have been found at Sirsa, along with various terracotta objects. These include a statue of the Buddha, a 0.6-m-tall sculpture of the goddess Ganga on her mount, a mukhalinga depicting Shiva, a figure of an elephant with a man and woman riding on top, and various others. Three gold coins from the Gupta Empire (one depicting Samudragupta and an unnamed queen consort, one depicting Chandragupta II, and one of Kumaragupta I) have also been found at Sirsa, along with numerous terracotta objects. the surviving part records the construction of a brick temple to Shiva by a Pāśupata acharya named Nīlakaṇṭha. ==Geography==

Sirsa is located at . It has an average elevation of 205 metres (672 feet). ==Demographics==

As of the 2011 Indian Census, Sirsa had a total population of 200,034, comprising 105,378 males and 94,656 females. The population within the 0 to 6-year age group is 22,804. The total number of literates in Sirsa was 144,225, which constituted 72.1% of the population, with a male literacy rate of 76.0% and a female literacy rate of 67.7%. The effective literacy rate of the 7+ population in Sirsa was 81.4%, with a male literacy rate of 86.2% and a female literacy rate of 76.0%. The Scheduled Castes population was 42,967. Sirsa had 39,689 households in 2011. Religion City Tehsil ==Point of interest==

Air Force station Sirsa hosts Indian Air Force's Sirsa Air Force Station. It is an important air force base, located near the Pakistan border. Dera Sacha Sauda The non-governmental organization Dera Sacha Sauda, established in 1948 by ascetic Mastana Balochistani, has its headquarters in Sirsa. Shri Tara Baba Kutiya (Tarakeswar Dham) Shri Tara Baba Kutiya, also known as Tarakeswar Dham, was constructed in the year 2003 with help from Sirsa MLA Gopal Goyal Kanda. It is near Ramnagarian village on Haryana State Highway 23 (Sirsa-Ellenabad Road). It features a statue of Shiva and an idol of Nandi. Abubshahar Wildlife Sanctuary Abubshahar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Sirsa district, which is the largest wildlife sanctuary of Haryana. Abubshaher Wildlife Sanctuary is also the birthplace of the black pheasant. Yakuza E-Vehicles Yakuza Electric Vehicles is one of the largest electric vehicle manufacturing facilities in Sirsa, Haryana. ==References==