Tirora, with a population
of 15596 persons in 1971, is a municipal town in Gondia tahsil, situated
on the Nagpur Howrah railway line, 23 miles from Bhandara Road station
and 31 miles from Bhandara town by road. About 19 miles distance from
the tahsil headquarters of the tahsil to which it gave its name. The
tahsil headquarters were however, shifted to Gondia in 1914 and the name
of the tahsil was also changed to Gondia. The town is about a mile from
the station and is divided into two parts called the old and the new
bastis, which are virtually separated by a tank. Food grains and
especially rice are grown in abundance in the surrounding tracts, an
important rice market being held on Sundays. A regulated market, with
essential facilities and amenities, has been established here, for the
collection and export of agricultural produce. There are some rice and
flour mills. Bidi industry, of which there are both large and small
scale units, is increasingly gaining an importance. It has provided
gainful employment to a large section of the population. The tobacco is
imported from Assam, Madras and Chanda and rolled in leaves of tendu
tree (Diospyros tomentosa), which burn with a pleasant flavour. In
addition to primary and middle schools, Tirora has two high schools and
a college. The town has a primary health centre, a T. B. survey,
education and treatment centre, and a veterinary dispensary. It is the
headquarters of a development block and has post and telegraph, and
telephone facilities, a police station and a rest house. It was created
a municipality in 1956.