Sirsi Taluka (North Kanara)
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Sirsi Taluka
Eastern taluka of North Kanara District, Bombay, lying between 14° 30' and 14° 50' N. and 74° 34' and 75° 3' E., with an area of 490 square miles. It contains one town, Sirsi (population, 6,196), the head-quarters; and 244 villages. The population in 1901 was 53,232, compared with 53,976 in 1891. The density, 109 persons per square mile, is slightly below the District average. The demand for land revenue in 1903-4 was 1-5 lakhs, and for cesses Rs. 10,000. The Western Ghats rise on the western boundary of the taluka, and in their neighbourhood lie deep moist valleys containing rich garden land between hills covered with evergreen forest. The country, as far as the middle of the tdluka, is covered with trees. Farther east, except some scattered evergreen patches, the forest becomes gradually thinner, and the trees more stunted. Sirsi is generally healthy, but is malarious between October and March. Water for drinking and irrigation is abunciant. The staple crops are rice, sugar-cane, gram, mug, kulith, udid, and castor-oil. Garden products comprise arcca-nuts, cardamoms, coco-nuts, and black pepper. The taluka forms an immense forest Reserve. Bamboo, teak, and sago-i)alm are the chief forest products. The annual rainfall averages 100 inches.
