The district of Shimoga has a major part of it that lies along the foot hills of the Western Ghats; the district has its main centre of administration in the city of Shimoga itself. The district of Shimoga was previously known as the Mandli district. The name of the district was changed and named after Shivamogga which is a legend that revolves around Lord Shiva. This was the region where Lord Ram assassinated the demon named Maricha that literally lead to the epic battle between Lord Ram and Ravana. The region was also ruled by the Mauryans, the Rashtrakutas, the Hoysalas, etc. The district of Shimoga has an area of around 8480 sq km under its administration with a population count of about 17.5 lacs. The district has a population density of 207 people per sq km. The economy of the region is primarily dependent on agro – based industries and small iron – based industries. The main agricultural products of the district are pepper, chilli, rice, oil, maize, etc.