Shirala

Shirala also called Battis Shirala is a small town in India, 60 kilometres west of the district headquarters, Sangli and about 350 kilometres from Mumbai, capital of Maharashtra state. It is particularly known for its Hindu festival of the snake god.HistoryShirala is a small town located in western Maharashtra, India's most prosperous state. During the Rashtrakuta period the region was ruled by Shilaharas. (from 765 to 1020)The nameShirala comes from word "Shilahara".The prefix ‘battis’ is the number thirty-two (32). It is said that thirty-two small villages surround this larger town. Historically, Battis Shirala has been major market a.Local EconomyThe major source of income for people in this town is from agriculture. Since this place is capital of tehsil or taluka, large numbers of people are employed in various government offices, schools, colleges, banks, hospitals and other service industry. A couple of agriculture-based industries (sugar and starch) also contribute to the town’s economy. Water supply for drinking and agricultural purposes is available from Morna Dam, Shirala located 5 kilometres from town. The tehsil has large area under thick forests due to heavy monsoon rains. It provides patronage to variety of wild life in ‘Chandoli abhay-aranya', a national forest.