---

Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 22, p. 79.

SANTIPUP 79' light is visible 14 miles seaward. There is a safe passage in clear weather between the rocks and the shore, the channel being 6 miles wide. Sante Bennur.-Town in the Channagiri tdluk of Shimoga Dis- trict, Mysore, situated. in 14° io' N. and 76° o' E., 8 miles west of Sasalu railway station. Population (19oi), 1,613. It was founded by a chief of the Basavapatna family, probably in the sixteenth century. A palace was built by Hanumappa Naik, and an ornamental honda or reservoir made in front of the temple, with pavilions at the angles and in the centre. When Basavapatna was taken by the Bijapur forces, the Musalmans destroyed the temple here and built a mosque on a large scale in its place, further erecting elegant upper storeys to the pavilions at the honda. The chief, who had been forced to retire to Tarikere, slew the Musalman governor and desecrated the mosque in revenge. The Chitaldroog chief took the place early in the seven- teenth century; but in 1717 it was captured by Bednur, which held it till it fell into the hands of Haidar Ali in 1761. The Marathas under Parasuram Bhao sacked the town in 1791. The mosque, never used since its desecration, and the honda, with its ruinous but graceful pavilions, are the only features of interest now left. Santhal.-Petty State in MAH! KANTHA, Bombay. Santipur.-Town in the Ranaghat subdivision of Nadia District, Bengal, situated in 23° 15' N. and 88' 27' E., on the Hooghly river. Population (1901), 26,898, having declined from 30,437 in 1891 ; but it is still the most populous town in the District. Hindus number 18,219, Muhammadans 8,672, and Christians 6. Santipur was con- stituted a municipality in 1865. The income during the decade ending 1901-2 averaged Rs. 28,ooo, and the expenditure RS. 25,000. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 31,000, including Rs. :16,ooo derived from a tax on houses and lands, and Rs. 7,000 obtained from muni- cipal property; and the expenditure was Rs. 26,ooo. Santipur was once the centre of a flourishing weaving industry, and its muslins had a European reputation, the town being the site of a Commercial Resi- dency and the centre of large factories under the East India Com- pany. Owing to the competition of machine-made goods, however, the weavers are no longer prosperous. There was at one time a con- siderable trade in date-sugar, but this too is becoming less profitable. The earthquake of 1897 destroyed many of the largest buildings, and the impoverished owners have been unable to replace them. There is still, however, a considerable local trade. The Rash Jatra festival in honour of Krishna, celebrated on the day of the full moon in Kartik (October-November), is attended by about 1o,ooo persons ; Santipur is also a celebrated bathing-place. The Zanana Mission has a school and dispensary here.