Sirsa, the seat of administration of
Sirsa District, is an ancient town situated 255 km northwest of
New Delhi. Its earlier name was Sairishaka and is believed to have been named after river Saraswati.
References about this town had been found in the epic of
Mahabharata and
Panini's 'Ashatadhayayi' and 'Divyavadan.' It has been deduced from these facts that the city might have had settlements from as early as 5th century BC. A group of historians also gives credit to an unknown king named Saras, as the founder of the city (7th century AD). The ruins of an old fort, which is believed to have built by him, found in the outskirts of the city, gives weight to this claim. Apart from these, many other tales are also prevalent regarding the origin of the city.
Places of tourist interest include Tomb of Khwaja Pir, Jama Masjid, Dera Baba Sarsai Nath and Shahpur Begu. Gurdwara of Guru Gobind Singh is a nearby attraction.
Sirsa has a railway station on the Rewari-Bathinda rail line. Nearest international airport is at New Delhi.
