Sidhpur

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Sidhpur | type = city | latd = | longd =
state_name = Gujarat
district = Patan
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population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 53,581| population_density =
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area_total =
area_telephone =
postal_code =
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sex_ratio =
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Sidhpur is a city and a municipality in Patan district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Sidhpur is an historical place, located in North Gujarat, India. It is located on the bank of Sarasvati River, considered to be the branch of lost Saraswati river. Sidhpur is the taluka headquarters of Sidhpur taluka.

History

Sidhpur is also known as "Sri-sthal" or a "pious place". It is mentioned in the Rig Veda to be existing at that time as the Dashu village. The legend is that the great sage Vyashya had donated his bones to God Indra here at Sidhpur. Sidhpur is also believed to be located at the junction of two rivers Ganga and Saraswati. Even in the Mahabharata, the great Indian epic, it is mentioned that the Pandavas had visited the place while they were in exile. During the 4-5th A.D a large number of people settled in this part. They were Gurjara people from Iran.

Around the 10th century, under Solanki rulers, the city was at the zenith of fame and glory. The ruler Sidhraj Jaisingh built his capital at Sidhpur, thus the name Sidhpur which literally means Siddhraj's town. He built a temple dedicated to Shiva, and also beautiful palaces and one huge tower, some say of 80 metres long. He also brought large numbers of Brahmins from Mathura and had them settled here. During the 12th century Muhammed Ghori destroyed the town on his way to Somnath. Around 30,000 people were killed in the raid, and the Solanki empire was destroyed.

During the Sultanate time the place was under the rule of local dynasty ruling from Palanpur. Later on in 15th century the place was brought under the Mughal rule by Akbar. Under the Mughal rule the town developed and flourished.

In order to understand fully the meaning of what was exposed at Siddhpur and the strife it caused, we have to know what the Rudramahalaya was, how it came to be built at Siddhpur and how a Jami Masjid was raised on its site and from its debris. The Report of the Minorities Commission provides some historical background. So does the Note from the Government of Gujarat. But the information is meager and leaves a lot to be told. Both of them were dealing with a communal problem and were not expected to give a detailed history of Siddhpur, the Rudramahalaya and the Jami Masjid.

The Note from the Government of Gujarat gives no information about the historical or religious importance of Siddhpur. The Report of the Minorities Commission says that Siddhpur is a historical city and that it was ruled successively by Hindu Rajas and Muslim Sultans. There is no reference to the religious importance of Siddhpur as a place of Hindu pilgrimage. The article by B.L. Nagarch brings out that point when it says that as the obsequies offerings to the paternal ancestors must be made at Gaya, so corresponding offerings to the maternal ancestors have to be performed at Siddhpur. Nagarch tells us also that the ancient name of Siddhpur appears to have been Sristhala or Sristhalaka and that the name of Siddhpur was given to this place in honor of Siddharaja Jayasimha who completed the Temple of Rudra-Mahadev in the twelfth century here.

The Puranas regard Sristhala as the most sacred spot in the Sarasvata-mandal of Gujarat. The Bhagvata Purana associates it with Kardama rishi, who had his hermitage here, and also with Kapila muni who was born in this place on the bank of the sacred Sarasvati River. It was also known as Vindusara. It is said that anahillapataka or anahillapattana, the capital of medieval Gujarat before Ahmadabad came up in the first quarter of the fifteenth century, was founded where it was because of its nearness to Sristhala.

Anahillapattana, now known as Patan, was built in AD 745 by Vanaraja, the founder of the Chavotkata or Chapa or Chavda dynasty. It reached its greatest glory, however, in the reign of Jayasimha (AD 1094-1143), the most illustrious ruler of the Chaulukya or Solanki dynasty of Gujarat. Jayasimha was very much devoted to Sristhala and visited it often in order to keep the company of sages and saints living at this place. There is a popular legend that Jayasimha defeated and captured Barbara, a demon who was molesting the holy men at Sristhala. Barbara, we are told, became his obedient servant and performed many superhuman deeds for him. That is how Jayasimha earned the sobriquet of Siddharaja. He built at Sristhala a temple dedicated to Rudra Mahakala which became known as Rudramahalaya or simply Rudramala. Because of its close association with Siddharaja, Sristhala became known as Siddhapura which name was corrupted to Siddhpur in course of time.

The spiritual fame of Siddhpur, however, proved to be its misfortune when Gujarat passed under a long spell of Muslim rule towards the close of the thirteenth century. Thereafter it attracted the attention of every Islamic iconoclast. Its temples were reduced to ruins and its holy men were either killed or scared away. Its spiritual importance had become greatly reduced when Munhata Nainasi, the famous historian of Rajasthan, visited it in Samvat 1717 (AD 1660). NaiNasi was at that time the Diwan of Maharaja Jaswant Singh of Jodhpur who had been appointed the Governor of Gujarat by Aurangzeb in AD 1658. He has left for us a brief description, historical and topographical, of Siddhpur as he saw it. Siddhpur, writes Nainasi is a pleasant city. It was founded by Sidharao after his own name. He invited from the East one thousand Auditchya Brahmins who were well-versed in the Vedas and gave them seven hundred villages around Siddhpur. He had built a big temple named Rudramala. That was razed to the ground by Sultan Alauddin. Even so, several temples survive today. Beyond the city, towards the east, there is the river Saraswati. A temple dedicated to Madhava had been built on its bank. A ghat [flight of steps leading to the river] has also been constructed. The temple was destroyed by the Mughals but the ghat can still be seen. A Turk has built his bungalow on the Ghat.

Siddhpur was liberated from the Muslim stranglehold by the Marathas in the first quarter of the eighteenth century. By the first quarter of the nineteenth, the Marathas lost to the British and in the settlement that followed Siddhpur was included in the princely state of Baroda along with Patan. The Marathas made no attempt to revive Siddhpur as a centre of Hindu pilgrimage. Nor did they try to restore Patan as the seat of a Hindu government. Neither the spiritual nor the political capital of Gujarat at one time has retained anything of a great past except wistful memories.

Climate

The climate of Sidhpur is continental. The summer season is hot and dry, with temperature in the range of 40s. While in winter it is pleasant with temperatures in 20s. The average annual rainfall is 40-50 inches.

Demography

The population of Siddhpur city was recorded as 58,194 during the 2001 census with a positive growth rate of 11%. Table 2.2 shows the population of the city since the census year 1961. The data shows that Siddhpur was growing naturally till 1981 but a sudden fall in growth rate was observed in the year 1991. The reason behind the downfall is the community riots occurred during the time. As such, large rate of out-migration was also observed during this time period due to the riots. In the census year 2001, the growth rate is showing improvement.

The city is administratively divided into 12 Municipal wards with 53,858 population spread over an area 800 Ha. Total Population is 58,194 persons as per Census of India, 2001 including Municipality and outgrowth area. As the basic urbanization begin sprawl from the Gamtal area, the same is also true for Siddhpur. Various wards such as 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 & 12 are located in Gamtal area and these wards are densely populated. At the same time, there observed areas with comparatively low density e.g. ward no 1, 2, 3, 8, 10 & 11. Siddhpur city has a density of 67 ppHa as per latest Census records. In the core urbanized area of Siddhpur, the population density observed reaches a peak of 305 ppHa considering data of year 2001.

Out of total area of Siddhpur Urban sprawl, the city is spread over 36% and the rest area (64%) is under out growth. The population under city limits is around 93% and the rest 7% is living in out-growth area.

ex Ratio

In past, Siddhpur was predominated by females over males in the city. The city showed a very healthy sex ratio in earlier years. The ratio equalized as the time passes and as of year 2001, it was observed to be 931.

Infant sex ratio in Siddhpur was recorded as 845, minutely low compared to 865 in the district and 884 of Gujarat State. It indicates the poor status of girl child in the city.

Sex ratio in Scheduled Caste was observed as 911 in the city, lower than the district average of 915 and the State average of 925. Moreover, the sex ratio for the population belonging to Scheduled Tribe was recorded as 874, comparatively lower than the district average of 880 and the state average of 974.

Literacy

In Siddhpur, the literacy is moderate among the people. It was much a lower a few decades back but, it seems to be improving. Improvement in the literate persons for each decade has been observed. From 46% literacy in year 1961, it boosted to 68% in year 2001 showing a rise of 22%. The state literacy rate in latest census was recorded as 69.96% and the same at National level as 54.16% Siddhpur has higher literacy rate than that was observed for the district, 60.4%. Overall, it can be said that the literacy rate is reasonably satisfactory for the city.

It seems that almost one-third male and one-fourth female are literate among the total population of the city. Since past five decades, literacy rate improvement is observed as almost 11% for both, male and female respectively.