Sandila

Sandila
city
Sandila Location in Uttar Pradesh, India
Coordinates:
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
District	Hardoi
Elevation	142 m (466 ft)
Population (2001)
• Total	48,831
Languages
• Official	Hindi
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)

Sandila (Urdu:سندیلہ) is a city and a municipal board in Hardoi district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

History

Nothing much is known about the ancient history of Sandila. According to folk sayings, it was a forested area, believed to be the worship land of legendary sage Shandilya. As per the British chronicles, the history of Sandila town started in the medieval period after Mohammad Ghori’s capture of Delhi throne. Two brothers belonging to the martial Arakh clan viz. Salhia and Malhia established the towns of Salhiapura (later known as Sandila) and Malhiapura (later known as Malihabad), respectively. Sandila thus became the seat of Arakh power in early 13th century and became a flourishing town under Arakhs. Arakhs held the region till last quarter of the 14th century, when a large army sent by Feroz Shah Tughlaq under his lieutenant Syed Makhdum Alauddin, captured the town and the adjoining areas after a fierce battle with Arakhs. The remains of Arakh rule are seen in form of ruined fortresses in the mounds of Garhi Jindor, Malhaiyya garhi (Malaiyya), Sahinjana tila, Samad Khera, Muslewan garhi, Datli, Naurang garh (Tarauna), Sandi qila, and many others. After the decline of Arakh power, Sandila came under the rule of Delhi sultanate. The folklore of Arakhs (also called Arkawanshis or अर्कवंशी) still sings about the bravery of its heroes, Salhia and Malhia.

Popular culture

Sandila is one of the few Indian cities to have a Martian Crater named after it.

Geography

Sandila is located at . It has an average elevation of 142 metres (465 feet). It is around 50 km away from Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh and is an important tehsil of the district Hardoi.

Laddoos

Sandila has been famous for its special Boondi Laddoos (a kind of Indian sweet). Its reference is also given in the famous Bollywood movies Hum Saath-Saath Hain" and most recently in "Piku" which shows its deliciousness. At one time, the laddoos were very popular, but due to lack of proper marketing and rise in competitive products, these laddoos have remained confined to Sandila only. Anyone going to Sandila or passing through Sandila must taste the laddoos at least once.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Sandila had a population of 48,831.

Religions in Sandila
Religion			Percent
Hindus			51%
Muslims			48%
Others†			1%
Distribution of religions †Includes Sikhs (0.2%), Buddhists (<0.2%).