a ▁River . ▁Being ▁the ▁gateway ▁for ▁the ▁h illy ▁region ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Gh ats , ▁the ▁city ▁is ▁popular ly ▁nick named ▁as ▁" G ate way ▁of ▁Mal nad ". ▁It ▁is ▁located ▁ 2 6 7 ▁k ms ▁from ▁Bang al ore . ▁ ▁The ▁city ▁is ▁ 5 6 9 ▁m ▁above ▁sea ▁level ▁and ▁is ▁surrounded ▁by ▁l ush ▁green ▁p addy ▁fields , ▁are can ut ▁and ▁co con ut ▁gro ves . ▁The ▁population ▁of ▁Sh im oga ▁city ▁is ▁ 3 2 2 , 6 5 0 ▁as ▁per ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁census . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁term ▁" sh iv m oga ". ▁A ▁version ▁of ▁et ym ology ▁is ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁story ▁that ▁Lord ▁Sh iva ▁d rank ▁the ▁T ung a ▁river ▁water ▁using ▁" M og ge ", ▁hence ▁the ▁name ▁Sh iva - m og ga ". ▁Another ▁version ▁of ▁et ym ology ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁name ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁term ▁" Si hi - M og ge ", ▁meaning ▁" s weet ▁pot ". ▁ ▁The ▁district ▁formed ▁the ▁southern ▁tip ▁of ▁the ▁Emperor ▁Ash oka ' s ▁Ma ury an ▁Empire ▁in ▁the ▁third ▁century ▁BC . ▁It ▁was ▁ruled ▁during ▁later ▁centuries ▁by ▁the ▁K ad amb as ▁( 4 th ▁century ), ▁Chal uky as ▁( 6 th ▁century ), ▁G anges , ▁Ras ht rak ut as ▁( 8 th ▁century ),