Sirsa has a total population of 1,82,534 and ranks 101st in term of Hindi speakers. Major employment in Sirsa district is in Agriculture, Food Industry, Cotton industry, Government sector and in Rice export. Out of entire workforce, 62% are employed in Agriculture sector, 35% are employed in the Government sector and in the above given industrial segment, remaining 3% Household workers. Sirsa is a good agricultural belt because of the river Ghaggar and Bhakara Canal. Wheat, Gram, Barley, Rape-mustard, Paddy, Cotton and Bajra are the main crops of Sirsa district. It is located 205 meters above the sea level. There are many mythological stories are related to the name “Sirsa”. It is said that the name Sirsa came from the name Sairishaka, which is mentioned in the Mahabharata, Divyavadana, and in Asthadhyayi of Panini. In Mahabharata, Sairishaka is described as being taken by Nakula in his conquest of the western quarter. It must have been a flourishing city in the 5th century B.C.E. as it has been mentioned by Panini. According to local tradition, an unknown king named Saras founded the town in the 7th century CE. and built a fort. The material remains of an ancient fort can still be seen in the south-east of the present town. It is about 5 km in circumference. According to another tradition, the name has its origin from the sacred river Sarasvati which once flowed near it. During the medieval period, the town was known as Sarsuti. It has been mentioned as Sarsuti by a number of medieval historians. Sirsa was in the administrative division of Hisar Feroza during Firuz Shahs reign. Later it came under Mughal Empire. With the decline of the Mughal Empire, the track comprising Sirsa district came under the control of Marathas. The whole of Delhi Territory of which the tract formed part was ceded by the Marathas to the British in 1810.
