KAMPTEE CANTONMENT.

Kamptee Cantonment is situated in 21° 10' N and 79° 12' E. on the South-Eastern Railway line at a distance of 16.093 km. (10 miles) from Nagpur, 851.34 km. (529 miles) from Bombay and 1,113.428 km. (692 miles) from Calcutta. It stands on an extensive plain of black cotton soil on the right bank of the Kanhan river and is embowered in luxuriant trees. It extends a little over four miles along the river bank. At its highest point it is 303.581 metres (996 feet) above the sea-level. In 1821 the cantonment of Kamptee was established and took its name from a small village on the left bank of the Kanhan river. Prior to 1821 there were no habitations except one or two hamlets on the bank of the river but the villages of Anjani, Vareganv and Yarkheda were in existence. Practically the whole of the area of the cantonment is made up of land acquired from these villages. The cantonment originally had an area of about 2,065.262 hectares (5, 103.25 acres) but in 1927 it was reduced by 567.37 hectares (1,042 acres) when the new municipality of Kamptee was formed. The Bagdura Nulla separates Kamptee cantonment from the Kamptee municipal town.

Now no military force is maintained in the cantonment and the old artillery lines and the transport lines are no more to be seen. The cantonment has one broad and handsome road called Mall,, extending from one end of the railway station to the other, this road is rendered agreeable and cheerful by its avenue of splendid trees. Both the sides of this road are flanked by privately owned bungalows. There are three civil areas in the cantonment, viz., the New Godown area to the extreme northwest, Gora Bazar in the centre and Cavalry Bazar to the southeast. The houses in these areas are mud-built and present a poor appearance.

The Sadar Bazar as it is described in the old Gazetteer now forms the Kamptee municipal town. The Bagdura Nulla which separates the cantonment and municipal town forms the eastern, western and northern boundaries of the Kamptee municipality.

About the garrison at Kamptee cantonment the old Gazetteer (Central Provinces District Gazetteers, Nagpur District, Vol. A, 1908.) gives the following account: —

Garrison.

"In 1821 the garrison was very large. The exact strength of the garrison cannot be ascertained but a plan of the cantonment, made in 1858, shows that there were lines for two Batteries of Artillery, one Regiment of British Infantry, three Regiments of Native Infantry and one Regiment of Native Cavalry with lines for elephants and camels in addition. In 1888 the cantonment ceased to belong to the Madras Presidency and came under the jurisdiction of the Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army.In 1889 the garrison consisted of a Battery of Artillery, one Regiment of British Infantry, one and a half Regiment of Native Infantry and one Regiment of Native Cavalry, the whole forming the Nagpur district under the command of a Brigadier General. In 1891 the Regiment of Native Cavalry was finally removed from Kamptee and the same year the extra half-battalion of Native Infantry was transferred to Sambalpur. In January 1905, orders were issued under Lord Kitchener's reorganization scheme for the eventual abandonment of Kamptee as a military station. The military district of Nagpur had already ceased to be of much importance, as its outlying stations of Raipur and Sambalpur had been denuded of troops. In March 1905, as a consequence of the scheme just referred to, the staff of the Nagpur district was transferred to Ahmadnagar and since then Kamptee has been commanded by the senior Combatant Officer in the station assisted by a fourth-class station staff; officer. It came directly under the General Officer Commanding the 5th (Mhow) Division in March, 1905 but now (1907) forms part of the Jubbulpore Brigade. The importance of Kamptee is declining and it may perhaps be abandoned altogether but for nearly 90 years it has been a model cantonment for neatness and cleanliness. General Burton, who was a staff officer in the Cantonment from 1858, in his book "An Indian Olio", published in 1888, says 'It presents a regular and well-ordered appearance beyond that of most other military stations in India' It has an honourable record, not the least feature of which being the loyalty of the garrison during the Mutiny. There was an attempt to rise in Nagpur but it was promptly checked with the assistance of the Madras Troops stationed in Kamptee and then the whole garrison, which included the old Third Regiment of European Infantry and the still famous First Madras Pioneers, marched to Banda and served under General Whitlock until peace was restored. The existence of six good camping grounds in the vicinity, called sanitary camps but for which there is no use as such, should not be lost sight of. Their names are Yassumba, Tekari, Seurah, Gada, Suradev and Kuradi, Their limits are marked by boundary pillars and they are all provided with wells. Kuradi is an excellent place for the field training of troops not exceeding half a battalion and, in conjunction with the Suradevi hills forme the only possible position in the immediate vicinity of Kamptee where manoeuvres with ball ammunition can be carried out with safety".

The garrison no more exists now and in the cantonment are now located the N. C. C. Officers Training School, the Army Postal Service Training Centre, Supply Depot, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Station Workshop, Military Hospital and Station Staff office. The Maharastra State Police Reserve Force is located in Rawlinson Lines in the Cantonment.

Population.

In 1951 the population of the cantonment was 4,867 but according to 1961 census its civil population is 5,091 and military 637. The majority of the civil population comes from poor class whose main occupation is bidi-making.

During the Maratha rule traders flocked to Kamptee on account of the comparative immunity from taxation which they enjoyed within the cantonment and a large commercial town had grown up alongside that portion of the Station which was occupied by the troops. Owing to its favourable situation on the roads leading to Nagpur, Kamptee for a long period had monopolised trade. But owing to increased railway communications and the emigration of a considerable number of buyers to the larger town of Nagpur, the Headquarters of the district, have gradually taken away from Kamptee its commercial business which was formerly transacted there. The decline of trade and revenue may also be attributed to the formation of Kamptee municipal town.

Administration.

Kamptee cantonment is a class II Cantonment and its municipal administration is run under the Cantonment Act, 1924, and the rules made thereunder, by a Board consisting of nine members, of whom four are elected. The officer commanding the Station is ex officio President of the Board and the Cantonment Executive Officer acts as its Secretary. The lands situated within the civil areas are directly under the management of the Board.

Schools, Hospitals and Miscellaneous.

There are two high schools and two primary schools run by private bodies. The State Government manages one middle school and one Basic Training School while the Cantonment Board runs one primary school. The cantonment maintains one General Hospital with separate general wards for men and women. In all it has 20 beds. It is manned with a well-qualified staff and is efficiently run. Within the cantonment are located a branch of the State Bank of India, government sub-treasury, a sub-post and telegraph office and a telephone exchange. The Kantian Water-Works under the management of Nagpur Corporation and supplying water to Nagpur city is situated here.

At present the population of Kamptee cantonment depends upon the wells for its water-supply. However, a scheme has been taken up which, when completed, would supply tap-water to the people.

The Kamptee cantonment was established in 1821 after the action of Sitabuldi in 1817 and took its name from a small village called Juni Kamptee, situated on the left bank of the Kanhan river. The Cantonment Board has built residential quarters for its employees. The cantonment has repaired and reconditioned a good many bungalows which were in a dilapidated condition. At present the Board does not maintain any market or slaughter-house. The station depends upon markets of the neighbouring municipal committee. However, the Board has plans to build its own markets and slaughter-house. Towards this end a committee has been appointed and details are being worked out.

In the year 1962-63, the total income of the Board from normal sources amounted to Rs. 1, 29,039.05. It received a sum of Rs. 15.395.00, as grant from the government. In the same year the normal expenditure came to Rs. 1, 82,360.53.

The Kamptee Cantonment Board has only eight members including the president four being elected and four ex officio nominated. During the year under report nine meetings were held by the civil area committee.

KAMPTEE TOWN.

Kamptee is situated on the banks of the Kanhan river in Nagpur tahsil. It is a trading centre of some importance. In the town there are factories which manufacture tiles, bidis and colours. The people belonging to the Momin community here are skilful weavers and the cloth woven by them on hand-looms finds a ready sale in Nagpur. Kamptee has a population of 40,859, according to 1961 census.

Municipality.

Constitution.—The municipality was established in July 1927 and its jurisdiction extends over an area of 5.957 km2. The area of the municipality has been divided into twenty wards from which 23 members are elected to the municipal committee which looks after the municipal administration. The members elect a president who becomes the leader of the committee. There is also a vice-president who is empowered to exercise all the powers of the president in his absence. Of the 23 seats, two seats are reserved for women and two for Scheduled Castes candidates thereby safeguarding their interests in case such candidates are not returned in the elections.

For the purposes of convenience various sub-committees have been formed. The following are some of the important subcommittees: —

(1) Finance sub-committee, (2) Octroi sub-committee, (3) Public Works sub-committee, (4) Public Health sub-committee, (5) Market sub-committee, (6) Hospital sub-committee, (7) Child' Welfare sub-committee, (8) Electrification sub-committee, (9) Education sub-committee and (10) Water-works subcommittee.

The municipal constitution by delegating powers to these subcommittees has given them a free hand in taking decisions on certain matters. This has made for the better implementation of the plans and programmes framed to improve the civic conditions of the people.

Income and Expenditure.—The total income of the Municipality accrued from various sources, including extraordinary and debt heads, amounted to Rs. 7,72,943.00 in 1961-62. It comprised municipal rates and taxes contributing Rs. 3,96,832.00 ; realization under special act Rs. 2,837.00; revenue derived from municipal powers and property apart from taxation Rs. 35,342.00; grants and contributions received for general and special purposes Rs. 1,60,620.00; miscellaneous Rs. 3,940.00 and extraordinary and debt heads Rs. 1,73,372.00.

Against this income of Rs. 7, 72,943.00 it had to incur an expenditure of Rs. 7, 76,703.00 during the same year. The item-wise expenditure of the municipality is general administration and collection charges Rs. 90,118.00; public safety Rs. 21,936.00; public health and convenience Rs. 3, 38,370.00; public instruction and institutions Rs. 1,38,981.00; contributions for general purposes Rs. 22,551.00; miscellaneous Rs. 30.00 and extraordinary and debt heads Rs. 1,64,717.00.

For better administration and organisation. administrative departments have been formed which effectively carry out their respective functions. The departments are—

(i) The General Administration Department which exercises supervision and control over the rest of the departments, and in certain respects directs their operations;
(ii) Tax Department which is responsible for the collection of taxes;
(iii) Octroi Department, headed by an octroi superintendent, levies and collects the taxes on goods at the municipal nakas as per rules and regulations of the municipality;
(iv) Sanitary Department is responsible to keep the town clean of refuse and dirt;
(v) Education Department is headed by the education officer and the problems relating to educational advancement are looked after by him:
(vi) Health Department's duty is to take prompt measures to check the spread of epidemics and diseases; and
(vii) Accounts section which maintains the accounts.
These various departments have facilitated the speedy transaction of business.

Cremation and Burial Places.—The municipality does not maintain any cremation and burial places and hence such places are managed and maintained by the respective communities.

Health.—The municipality maintains a hospital which treats the sick and the disabled. A grant of Rs. 500 is received from the Government towards its expenditure. In it is housed a dispensary which treats out-door patients. The veterinary dispensary of the town is run by the State Government and the municipality, each sharing 50 per cent of the expenditure. There is a child welfare centre and two health centres.

Drainage.—The town does not have any special type of drainage system. It has Kutcha as well as pucca stone-lined surface drains. The water is collected in cesspools and then removed at a safe distance by the scavengers employed for the purpose.

Water-supply.—The town populace derives its water-supply from the wells, private as well as public. Recently arrangements have been made to supply tap-water.

Education.—Primary education is compulsory in the town and the same is being managed by the municipality. There are 13 primary schools in the town. In the year 1959-60 the number of pupils was 2,898 and that of teachers 96. The net expenditure incurred on education by the municipality was Rs, 97,346.00.

There is one government middle school and four private high schools which impart education up to the S.S.C. Examination level. The town as a whole has good educational facilities.

Roads.—There are no asphalted roads within the municipal limits. The length of the metalled roads is 15.2855 km. (9 miles 4 furlongs) while that of unmetalled ones is only 1.609 km. (one mile). The major roads of the town are Sukravar Bazar Road and the Main Road.

Amenities.—The municipality maintains a park for the recreation of the people. The park is named after Mahatma Gandhi.
Kamptee has an N.C.C. Training School where officer cadets in N.C.C. are given training.

KAMATHI (TELGANV).

Kamathi (Telganv): An agricultural village of about 2,518 inhabitants, 6.437 km. (four miles), west of Saoner and 38.624 km. (twenty-four miles) from Nagpur. Part of the village site was formerly covered by a mud fort but now no traces of it are to be seen. A weekly market is held on Mondays. The village has a primary school and a middle school which are privately managed.

The village has been supplied with electricity. Many cultivators have made use of the electric power for irrigation. As many as 49 electric water-pumps have been installed. There is a branch post office and a small library.

KANHOLI.

Kanholi: Largely an agricultural village on the Annapurna river, 37.015 km. (twenty-three miles), south-west of Nagpur. The Tell caste predominates very largely, accounting for over three-quarters of the population. The village was held by two Brahmins under Malguzari system. The family had obtained possession of the village in the reign of Baji Rav II, in whose household they were holding an office corresponding more or less to that of a Chamberlain. The village has a primary school, a middle school, a post office and a cattle-pound.

At present, the village is surrounded by fair jungle, but tradition seems to point to a luxuriance and strength of growth in old times, of which there is only too little a trace now. There is a story of a Navab (of Moghal times), who cut a tree in the Kanholi jungles and was carting the trunk to Nagpur but found that he could not get the trunk past a spot called Singhar Dip 3.219 km. (two miles) from Kanholi. The obstruction was attributed to divine agency and the log was allowed to remain there, and a few disintegrated fragments were preserved and worshipped as Mayal Dev. There is a small shrine dedicated to Matoba who is said to have confounded and blinded the Pendharis in the jungles when they came to loot Kanholi (Cf. Nanda Gaimukh).

KATOL TAHSIL.

Katol tahsil (21°2' and 21°31' N and 75°15' and 78°59' E): Katol tahsil is the western tahsil of the district. It is an irregular quadrilateral in shape, with one side to the north bounded by the Chindvada district, another facing north-west bounded by the Amravati district, another facing south-west bounded by the Arvi tahsil of Wardha district, and the fourth side facing roughly east and bordering on the Nagpur and Ramtek tahsils. Except on this last side the tahsil has well-marked natural boundaries. On the north it extends up to the fringe of Satpuda hills, and on the north-west it is marked off by the Wardha and the Kar rivers. The tahsil has the three principal hill systems. The first is the Satpuda range on the north, the second a belt of uplands running from the extreme western corner (the trijunction of Nagpur, Wardha and Amravatl) past Kondhali to the southeast boundary of the district and a third a broad band of confused hilly region covering almost the whole of the eastern half of the tahsil between Kondhali and Kelod and forming the watershed between Wainganga and Wardha valleys. These three hill systems enclose a rich plain, part of the Wardha valley, which forms the north-western portion of the tahsil. The Jam valley is an extension of this plain in the corner, formed by the second and the third ranges and is broad and fertile at Paradsinga, but narrows to little more than a gorge at Kondhali.

The Katol tahsil covers an area of 1.590.26 km.2 (614 square miles) out of which 145.03 km.2 (56 square miles) are comprised in government forest. It is remarkable for the abrupt contrasts of stony upland and the fertile plain which it presents. It is said of the Katol tahsil, as doubtless may have been said of stony regions -of the various parts of the world, that the Creator of the Universe, having completed the construction of the world, had a residue of rough materials, stones and rubbish, which he threw down to the nearest tract of country at his hand at the time and that this happened to be Katol. But these celestial heaps of stones have proved a blessing to the part in which they have fallen. They have served to enclose and protect from erosion the deep lowland which they encircle, and the low country between them, embanked as it were by Nature's hand seems to increase rather than diminish in fertility. The prosperity, industrial and commercial activity generally prevailing in the tahsil, are the material evidences which show that in this region of the district. Nature, despite a rugged exterior, has not been niggardly of the bounties.

Population.

The total population of Katol tahsil is 167.850 of which the urban population is 30,864 and the rural 136.986. The towns of the tahsil are Katol (P. 14.581). Narkhed (10.442) and Movad (5.841). In addition, there are 9 large villages having a population of over 2,000 and 19 villages of 1,000 to 2,000 persons. Katol tahsil includes 340 villages and towns of which 50 are deserted or uninhabited.

Agriculture.

Katol on the whole has the poorest soil of the five tahsils as regards composition, although it has all the 'Kali' soils of the first class in the district. The natural embankments of hills around it act as a protection against failure of crops and it has never been hard hit by the famines. Nevertheless from an agricultural point of view Katol is the most advanced of the five tahsils and its lands produce kharif crops as valuable as the wheat of other tahsils. The cultivators are intelligent and enterprising to an unusual degree and spend much time and money on improvement of their fields. The total geographical area of the tahsil is 1, 45,726.695 hectares (359,819 acres) of which in 1958-59 the net cropped area was 98,438.085 hectares (243,057 acres). The total acres of irrigated garden land is 5,670 hectares (14,000 acres). The following table indicates the statistics of crops for the last eleven years:—

Year (1)	Net cropped area* (2)	Wheat (3)	Rice (4)	Til (5)	Jowar (6)	Cotton (7)	Tur (8)
1951-52	91,656.360 (2,26,312)	41,313.240 (1,02,008)	..	..	55,868.130 (1,37,946)	17,011.215 (42,003)	..
1952-53	95,494.140 (2,35,788)	4,072.275 (10,055)	374.625 (925)	42.120 (104)	53,742.285 (1,32,697)	21,881.745 (54,029)	168.075 (415)
1953-54	97,659.675 (2,41,135)	2,394.765 (5,913)	425.250 (1,050)	41.310 (102)	55,437.210 (1,36,882)	25,706.160 (63,472)	208.575 (515)
1954-55	97,511.040 (2,40,768)	3,971.430 (9,806)	410.670 (1,014)	42.525 (105)	54,118.565 (1,33,873)	26,154.495 (64,579)	247.455 (611)
1955-56	98,314.360 (2,42,752)	4,885.515 (12,063)	458.865 (1,133)	..	51,552.450 (1,27,290)	27,180.765 (67,113)	266.490 (658)
1956-57	97,660.890 (2,41,138)	5,742.090 (14,178)	724.950 (1,790)	133.650 (330)	54,765-720 (1,35,224)	24,508.980 (60,516)	361.665 (893)
1957-58	98,510.985 (2,43,237)	4,451.760 (10,992)	643.545 (1,589)	327.240 (808)	53,970.705 (1,33,261)	26,152.875 (64,575)	388.395 (959)
1958-59	98,438.085 (2,43,057)	4,046.760 (9,992)	729.000 (1,800)	376.650 (930)	53,611.470 (1,32,374)	30,370.545 (74,989)	261.225 (645)
1959-60	88,977.285 (2,19,697)	6,428.160 (15,872)	707.940 (1,748)	300.915 (743)	49,466.700 (1,22,140)	26,143.560 (64,552)	588.465 (1,453)
1960-61	98,070.345 (2,42,149)	5,258.520 (12,984)	948.105 (2,341)	173.745 (429)	52,722.090 (1,30,178)	28,284.795 (69,839)	204.120 (504)
1961-62	98,121.375 (2,42,275)	4,105.080 (10,136)	642.735 (1,587)	156.735 (387)	49,254.075 (1,21,615)	30,612.735 (75,587)	167.265 (413)

*Figures in brackets indicate area in acres while those without in hectares.

Land Revenue.

The present land revenue of the tahsil comes to Rs. 4, 13,360.19. For the purposes of assessment the tahsil was divided into the following groups:—

(1) Kondhall group: Containing the southern hilly portion of the tahsil with 89 villages,
(2) The Narkhed group: The most fertile portion of the Wardha valley in the north-west corner of the tahsil with 66 villages,
(3) Jaldlkhedd group: Lying to the south of the Narkhed group and enclosed by the Jam and the Wardha rivers with 106 villages, and
(4) The Katol group: The central portion of the tahsil with 79 villages

Miscellaneous.

For ordinary revenue work the tahsil is divided into four Revenue Inspectors' Circles with Katol, Narkhed, Jalalkheda and Kondhali as the headquarters. It has been further divided into 68 patwari circles.

The means of transport and communications of the tahsil are fairly good. The Madras-Delhi railway line passes through this tahsil and has the following stations within its area, viz., Metpanjra, Katol, Kalamba and Narkhed. The tahsil has the following 'pucca' roads on which buses ply all the year round:—

(1) Nagpur-Jalalkheda road running via Katol,
(2) A direct road from Katol town running to Kondhali,
(3) Another road running from Katol to Savarganv,
(4) Narkhed-Movad road running through Katol.
In addition to the above roads the tahsil has some fair-weather roads. They are—
(1) Road running from Savarganv to Narkhed,
(2) Savarganv-Cicoli road, and
(3) Bharsingi-Karanja road.

KATOL TOWN.

Katol Town (T. Katol, 21°15' N and 78°35' E, P. 14,560} is the headquarters of Katol tahsil, 57.936 km. (36 miles) to the north-west of Nagpur. It is connected by a partly fair-weather road bridged which also passes through the town of Kalamesvar. Beyond Katol this road becomes a mere surface track running into the Amravati district. The Madras-Delhi Grand Trunk Railway route and the Kharangana-Kondhall-Katol state highway pass through Katol. It is also crossed by Nagpur-Katol-Jalal-kheda major district road. The town now includes the large adjoining village of Peth Budhvar, which lies on the Jam, a tributary of the Wardha river.

The population is 14,581 according to 1961 Census. The town is a trade centre of a wide cotton-growing tract. The old town site is crowded and insanitary lying in a hollow and traversed only by narrow crowded lanes. But the recent trend of extension has been towards higher ground to the south-east where the cotton factories are located. The present town site is not so much congested and is having good drainage system and fairly spacious lanes and by-lanes.

Antiquities.

Katol is believed to be mentioned in the Asvamedha canto of the Mahabharat as Kuntalapur, so named from Kuntal, a Raja whose capital was situated here. It possesses two Hemadpanti temples which are said to date from the days of Ravan and to have been built in one night by his demons. The mud fort dates from the time of the Gond dynasty. In the time of Dharmaji Bhosle it was held by a Pendhdri confederacy which paid more or less regular tribute' to the Raja and protected the countryside from other raiding bands.

Municipal Undertakings.

Katol is an ancient town but it reached the first stage of modern municipal development only in 1905 when it was notified as a Town-Fund area. The income of the municipality for the first year was only Rs. 4,761, but now it has risen gradually to Rs. 2,88,645. Its prosperity is dependent chiefly on cotton and orange trade and therefore, a grand cotton market has been built. This is a large enclosure of 4.047 hectares (ten acres) securely fenced, and provided with a weighing shed, well, water-trough, trees for shade and electric lights. Within the enclosure, round the central market square, several shops have been erected by merchants.

Trade.

The weekly market of Katol has long been important and is now attended by about 10,000 to 12,000 people. Commodities of all kinds arc dealt in but the bazar is important as it is the second largest cattle market in the tahsil. In the month of Caitra (April) the Saraswati fair is held and is usually attended by a congregation of over 10,000 people. In former days the gardens of the town were noted for the production of fine 'Ganja' but now they produce excellent oranges and mangoes. Cotton is the staple crop of Katol tahsil. The rich valleys of the Wardha and the Jam rivers help in the production of a bumper crop of cotton.

Public Institutions

The educational institutions comprise three high schools, with a total strength of 2,000 pupils. Of the three, one is a girls' high school. The buildings of the two schools are quite large, but the third one is housed in a small building owned by the municipality. Plans are underway to build a spacious building for this school. The town has an Arts and Commerce College and a B.T. training college. There is also a town hall, a post and telegraph office, a telephone exchange and a police station. The tahsil Court building was erected in 1962.

A huge water reservoir has been built by the municipality in the heart of the town. The pumping station has been installed in Budhwar Pern area on the bank of the river Jam. The water is pumped in the tank and supplied to the town. A complete pipeline has been laid. This waterworks was completed in- June 1963.

Municipality.

Constitution.—Katol Municipality, established in 1919, has at present an area of 16.835 km2 (6.5 square miles) under its jurisdiction. The municipal committee is constituted of 16 members. The president is elected from amongst the elected members and the vice-president is either nominated or elected.

Following sub-committees have been set up by the municipal committee:—

Finance sub-committee whose work it is to assess the taxes and present the annual budget;

Public works sub-committee which does the work of preparing plans regarding construction and building works, and estimating the amount required; and Education sub-committee which looks after the compulsory primary education.

Income and Expenditure.

In 1962-63 the income of the municipality amounted to Rs. 2,88,573, excluding a sum of Rs. 15,385 received under extraordinary and debt heads. The income consisted of revenue derived from municipal rates and taxes Rs. 1,89,275.00; realisation under special acts Rs. 412.00 ; revenue derived from municipal property and powers apart from taxation Rs. 13,094.00; grants for special and general purposes Rs. 77,808.00 and miscellaneous Rs. 7,984.00.

The expenditure during the same year amounted to Rs. 2,17,023.00. It excluded expenditure on extraordinary and debt heads. The itemwise expenditure incurred was general administration and collection charges Rs. 32,518.00; public safety Rs. 15,385.00; public health and convenience Rs. 75,544.00; public instruction Rs. 58,408.00; grants and contributions Rs. 1,001.00 and miscellaneous Rs. 31,167.00.

Administrative Organisation.

For the smooth functioning of the administration the municipal committee has created separate departments, like the public health department, octroi department and education department.

The town has one civil and one veterinary dispensary. Both the dispensaries are maintained by the municipality. The town does not have any special type of drainage system. There are only surface drains.

Primary education is compulsory and is managed by the municipal committee. The total number of pupils is 1,312 with 36 teachers.

The town has only metalled roads measuring 14.48 km. (9 miles). The principal roads are: The road approaching the water scheme is 3.21 km. (two miles) long and the road running from Bhatpura to the Jam river being also of the same length. The cremation and burial places are maintained and managed by the communities concerned. The municipality maintains two parks. Both these parks have separate corners for children.

Objects.

There is a very old fort in the town. There are also temples of Saraswati and Candika reported to be very old.

(1) Candika Devi Mandir.—The temple is believed to have been built during the reign of one king Candrahasa, who is supposed to have ruled over this territory in the dim and distant past. The construction of the temple is. in the Hemadpanti style. It is situated in the old Basti. The 'Gabhara', which contains the idol of the goddess, measures 9.290 m.2 (10' x 10'). It is beautifully carved out of black rock and is in a standing position. On either side of the entrance to the 'Gabhara' are two images in standing posture which appear to be the bodyguards of the goddess Candika. Outside is the ' Sabhamandap' having windows on all the four sides which serve as inlets for the sunlight. In the centre exactly facing the goddess is a 'Honikunda' housed by a little dome. On the 'Mandap' wall, to the left of the goddess, is engraved the image of Lord Gajanan with exquisite skill. Against the outer side of the Mandap-walls are carved the images of animals, wild as well as domestic, and numerous deities which add a tinge of glory and glamour to the solid and grave structure of the building. The architectural designs speak eloquently of the architects of those times. In Navratra, Sardotsava is celebrated with great eclat when thousands of people gather to pay homage to the goddess.

(2) Sarada Mandir.—The idol is supposed to be ' Svayambhu'. It is a small building housing two images of the same goddess of unequal size. The images depict a sort of crude and rough architecture. In front of the temple is a tank of water of the size of a square measuring 37.161 m.2 (20' x 20'), whose water, it is said, never dries up. The place is venerated by the Hindus as a ' Tirtha Ksetra'. By the side of the tank is another small temple which houses the images of Maruti, Ganapati and Sivling. To the left of the Sarada Mandir is housed yet another Sivling by the side of which are three small samadhis of unknown persons. Two fairs, one on the occasion of Sardotsava and the other on Caitra Suddha 15th, are held when devotees of the goddess gather in large numbers.

(3) Siv Mandir.—The Mandir is situated on the southern bank of a beautiful tank, now let on lease to the Government for pisciculture, with a lovely hillock at the hack and a giant pimpal tree in the front. The inner shrine or 'Gabhara' of the temple is 5.945 m.2 (8' x 8') with Ling occupying the central position. The Ling is donned with a brass plaque. On the wall facing the visitor are engraved the images of innumerable deities in beautiful and attractive designs. Outside is the 'Mandap' of the temple enclosed on all the four sides with walls having a single entrance in the front. It is used to deliver Kirtans and hold religious discourses in praise of the God. To the south of the temple of Siv there is a temple of Maruti whose image is about 3.048 metres (10 feet) tall. The idol of Maruti has become the major attraction to the people. The pimpal tree protects under its shade one more Sivling and an image of Nandi both carved out of black stone. The natural surroundings like the tank, the hillock and the pimpal tree provide an excellent setting and add charm and beauty to the temple. Especially the evenings, at the time of sunset, are lively and pleasant. It has become a good spot of recreation.

Kelod.

Kelod is largely an agricultural village in Saoner tahsil, situated in 21°27' N and 78°53' E. It is 45.062 km. (twenty-eight miles) from Nagpur and occupies the northern edge of a fertile plain of which Saoner is the centre, and thus shares to some extent the prosperity of its greater neighbour. It has a population of 5,080 according to the Census of 1961. Till 1951, Kelod was classified as a town but the Census of 1961 has declassified it. The weekly bazar is held on Thursdays when large quantities of timber and firewood are sold. Kelod is well-known for the manufacture of silk-bordered cloth, though the trade is on the decline in recent years. There are in the village two high schools, a post office and a police station. Kelod is a railway station on the Nagpur-Chindvada section. There is a Grampancayat which looks after the village administration.

Grampancayat.

The Grampancayat at Kelod was established in the year 1948. It has an area of 6.734 km.2 (2.6 sq. miles) under its jurisdiction.

A total of 15 members forms the pancayat committee. The Sarpanc is elected by the members from amongst them. Of these 15 seats, four are reserved, two for women candidates and two for Scheduled Castes, respectively.

Income and Expenditure.—In the year 1961-62 the income of the Grampancayat including a sum of Rs. 4,192.16 as the opening balance, amounted to Rs. 25,974.15. It comprised taxes contributing Rs. 6,203.18; revenue derived from Pancayat property and powers apart from taxation Rs. 4,892.37 ; grants for special and general purposes Rs. 5,081.00 and from miscellaneous sources Rs. 5,605.44. The income figure excludes income under extraordinary debt heads.

The expenditure incurred during the same year amounted to Rs. 15,078.49. It excludes expenditure on extraordinary and debt heads. The expenditure comprised general administration and collection charges Rs. 3,246.05 ; public safety and convenience Rs. 3,183.01 ; public health Rs. 5,155.37; public instruction Rs. 101.41 ; capital expenditure Rs. 2,489.61 and miscellaneous Rs. 903.49.

Drainage.—There is no ' pucca' drainage system in the village. Only along the main road the gutters have been stone-lined. To collect waste water soak-pits and cess-pools have been dug.

Water-supply.—-The water-supply is largely drawn from the wells, private as well as public. Only certain parts of the town get tap water-supply. This is done by pumping water into an overhead tank, which has been recently built by means of an electric pumping set.

Miscellaneous.—The village does not have any cement roads. It has been electrified. The Grampancayat runs a small library. Cremation and burial grounds are managed by the Gram-pancayat.

Objects.

Kapilesvar Temple.

To the west of the town at a distance of 603.504 metres (3 furlongs) there is an old temple dedicated to Kapilesvar. There is some striking scenery around the temple.

The temple, to the west of Kelod town, is reported to be over 200 years old. It is situated on a big mountain rock by the side of which flows a stream which falls from a height of 6.096 metres (about 20). The fall has created a fairly big pool and it is said that there is a hidden and inaccessible cave inside.

The temple is reached by climbing about 20 steps which lead to the open courtyard. The shrine is 1.8288 x 1.2192 metres (6'x4') in the centre of which is placed the Sivling. To the left of the Ling is the image of Nandi, in its usual posture, carved out of solid black rock, while at the back are the idols of numerous deities. Outside is the Sabhdmandap. In the open courtyard are two giant pimpal trees which protect an image of Hanuman under their shade. The deep shade of the trees keep the surroundings very cool and lively. The temple is not noted for any architectural or sculptural skill. At the time of Sivratri a Mahayajnya is performed by the people on which day a feast is given to the gathered people. In addition to this in Sravan the local Marvadi people perform homa. On every Sravan Somvar, puja is performed when devotees gather to invoke blessings of the God.

A legend says that there was a mendicant who used to live in the above-mentioned cave and that he had a cow. That cow always used to go grazing along with the herd of cattle from the village. One day the cowherd followed the cow to ask wages for having looked after the cow. The cow suddenly jumped into the pool and the cowherd had to return disappointed. The next day to his surprise, he noticed the same cow in the herd and this time he caught the cow's tail on arriving at the pool. On reaching the cave he saw a mendicant and the Dhuni. When the cowherd explained the purpose of his visit, the mendicant took a few live coals from the Dhuni extinguished and put them in the blanket of the cowherd. The cowherd on coming out threw away the coals but the one which got stuck accidentally was found to be a piece of gold on reaching home. The shepherd repented for what he had done and tried to find out the mendicant and the cow but neither could be seen. Nobody has ever been able to fathom the contents of the cave. It is from this incident that the temple is named as Kapilesvar.

KHAIRGANV.

Khairganv: A large and rich village in Katol tahsil, well wooded, having a number of gardens and wells, lying on the east bank of the Wardha river, 3.219 km. (two miles) south of Movad and 24.140 km. (fifteen miles) north-west of Katol. The population as per 1961 Census is 3,033 as against 2,995 in 1951. The village was badly affected by the floods of the Wardha river in September 1961. A number of houses were swept off and the river carried away everything before it. The people who were rendered homeless are being rehabilitated to the north of the town. Residents having their houses within the danger zone have been allotted plots and granted loans for the construction of houses. The village has a middle school and two primary schools, one each for boys and girls. It has a Grampancayat.

KHAPA.

Khapa (21°25' N, 79°2' E): A town in the Saoner tahsil situated on the Kanhan river, 35.405 km. (22 miles) north of Nagpur and 9.656 km. (six miles) from Patansavangi on the Chindvada road. The metalled road leads from Patansavangi to Khapa. The population in 1901 was 7,615 as against 9,383 in 1891 and 8,465 in 1881. According to 1961 Census the population of Khapa town is 9,536.

The town is rich in natural surroundings. It is built on a site high above the river and immediately overlooking it. On the land side it is completely shut in by fine groves of mango trees. Eighty years ago Khapa was described as one of the most flourishing towns in Nagpur district. The decrease in its population after 1891 is to be attributed to changes in the course of trade.

The town is in constant danger of floods when the river Kanhan is in high spate during the rainy season. To avoid this danger, Vidarbha Housing Board constructed Flood Relief Housing Colony for the sufferers in 1957—59. The State Government constructed a bridge on the Kanhan river in 1961.

The principal industry of Khapa in old days was cotton weaving, which is on the decline today owing to the competition from the mills. The orange produce of Khapa has a good market in Nagpur. Manganese ore is the principal mineral exported from Khapa. Brick and tile-manufacturing is another important industry of the town. The town has weekly timber and cattle markets.

Municipality.

Constitution.—The Municipality was established in May, 1867 and has an area of 5.70 km.2 under its jurisdiction. The town municipality has been divided into twelve wards from which 14 members are elected to the municipal committee. Of these, one seat is reserved for women and another for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The president is elected from amongst the elected members. The vice-president is nominated by the president. The vice-president exercises overall supervision in the absence of the president. The municipal committee is elected for a term of five years.

Income and Expenditure.—In the financial year 1959-60 the income of the municipality totalled Rs. 1,56,917. This amount of Rs. 1,56917, however, excludes the extraordinary and debt heads, but includes a sum of Rs. 2,413 as closing balance of the previous year. The total income comprised revenue derived from municipal rates and taxes Rs. 53,571 ; income derived from municipal property and powers apart from taxation Rs. 31,886, grants and contributions Rs. 66,622, and income from miscellaneous sources being Rs. 2,425.

The expenditure for the same year excluding extraordinary and debt heads amounted to Rs. 1,55,535, of which expenditure on public lighting and water-supply, drainage, etc., came to Rs. 57,296, on roads Rs. 4,277, expenditure on public instruction Rs. 61,336 and miscellaneous Rs. 32,606.

The secretary is the chief officer in the municipal administration and supervises the work of his subordinates. However, important decisions are taken at the meetings of the municipal committee.

Cremation and Burial Places.—The cremation and burial places are maintained and managed by the respective communities.

Drainage.—Khapa town has a natural drainage and hence no difficulties are experienced by the municipality in maintaining sanitation. There are kutcha as well as stone-lined drains. At some places water is allowed to gather in cess-pools and is then removed out of the town. To clear the town of the refuse a tractor with a trailer has been employed. A government grant of Rs. 600 was received towards this arrangement.

Roads.—Only 4.0233 km. (two and a half miles) of roads fall within the municipal limits. The roads arc regularly watered. In 1959-60 a toll tax of Rs. 2,151 was collected by the municipality.

Water-supply.—A scheme, which is estimated to cost approximately Rs, 6,94,700, to supply water to the town has been drawn up and is under the consideration of the municipality. The feasibility of the scheme is being studied.

Wells and rivers form the main source of water-supply to the people inhabiting the town. In the meanwhile, with a view to discourage the use of river water for drinking purposes, pumps have been installed by the municipality on wells in five of the twelve wards, with storage tanks, each with a capacity of 3,000 gallons. This system is found to be working satisfactorily.

Education.—Primary education was made compulsory in 1956. The municipality has established separate primary schools for boys and girls. There are three primary schools for boys while for girls there is one. The municipality also runs a Montessori School and a high school recognised by the Board of Secondary Education, Vidarbha Region. The total number of students was 446 in 1960. Municipal expenses amounted to Rs. 24,641 in this regard. The municipality receives government grants from time to time.

Public Health.—A dispensary is run by the municipality where people are given free medical aid. Besides, there are two private dispensaries in the town. A maternity hospital was built in 1956 at a total cost of Rs. 20,000. It was the result of the joint endeavour on the part of the citizens, the municipal authorities and the Bharat Sevak Samaj.

The town is susceptible to epidemics like cholera but prompt measures are taken by the municipality in the event of the outbreak of such an epidemic.

The municipality has built tin-roofed shades to accommodate the meat-market and washing platforms for washermen.

Objects.

Bhavani Mata Mandir.

This temple is located near the Khapa municipality. The idol of the Goddess is reported to be very old, though the Sabhd-mandap is a modern construction and has a terrace. The idol, which measures three feet, is made of brass and is seated on a pedestal. The idol looks majestic. On either side of the Goddess are standing two male figures made of red lead which probably are bodyguards. The Gabhara is entered by a narrow door and is having a dome or Sikhar which is about 6.096 metres (20') high. Outside is the Mandap measuring 6.096 x 4.572 metres (2O' x l5'). It is supported by four massive colonnades. The floor is paved with marble slabs. This adds glamour and beauty to the temple. In the Mandap, near the entrance, is a small Homkunda where Yajna is performed on all the ten days of Navratra. This is a great occasion for the town populace. In Bhddrapada on the occasion of the Ganes Caturthi festival, an image of Ganapati of unusual size is set up and worshipped. This image is always bigger than any other in the town. This constitutes one of the special features of the temple. In Caitra again a fair is held when many people gather to pay their respects to the Goddess. Besides this, occasionally Kirtans are arranged and delivered. The management of the temple is entrusted to a committee recognised by the Government. Funds are collected by way of contributions and gifts. The temple does not bear any designs of particular architectural importance.

Muralidhar Mandir.

This is the main temple of the Khapa town and is regularly visited by the Hindus. It is situated in Patiram Maharaj Vadi which is to the west of the town. A legend is current regarding the sanctity of the temple which tells that in Ayodhyanagari there was a poor Brahmin couple who had a son named Patiram. The child which was the only support of his old parents instead of going to school had leanings towards devotion to God. One day on his refusal to go to school his parents turned him out of the house. The young boy began to wander in the forests where he came across some saints, who accepted him as their disciple. The saints imparted him education and knowledge and they also took him to various places of pilgrimage like Mathura, Dwarka and Kasi. Once when Patiram was on his way to Ramesvar, the holy place of the Hindus, with the permission of his gurus, he reached a place called Kodeganv which is to the north-west of Khapa. Formerly Kodeganv was a big jungle inhabited by wild animals. There was a streamlet of crystal-clear water where Patiram used to take bath thrice a day. His way of taking bath was extraordinarily unusual. He used to take all his bowels out from the mouth, clean them thoroughly well and put them back in the original place. One day he was observed by a varathi who was a washerman by profession. The varathi recognised him to be a great saint and fell on Patiram's feet. Patiram obtained a promise from the varathi that he would not disclose the matter to anybody in return for which he blessed away the varathi's poverty. But as Patiram was not sure of the varathi keeping his promise, be came over to Khapa and began to look after the cattle of a Brahmin and earn his livelihood. One day the Brahmin's servant who had brought food to Patiram saw him taking water from a well without the help of a rope. The news spread far and wide like wild fire and so people began to visit the place for his Darsan. One of these was a goldsmith by name Dhondba Borkar who was so poor that he never had a sumptuous meal throughout his life. On the advice of Patiram be went to Nagpur where be got employment. Afterwards he thought of building a house for himself and while laying the foundations struck across a store of pearls which he offered to Patiram. Patiram refused to accept" the wealth upon which Dhondba built the present temple of Murlidhar for him and the idols which are to be seen in the temple were installed by Patiram Maharaj. There are so many like stories told by the people about Patiram Maharaj. He had many followers and in his commemoration the locality has been named as Patiram Maharaj Vadi.

Muralidhar Mandir.

In the centre of the Gabhara on a pedestal is the idol of Muralidhar having idols of Rakhumai and Radha to the left and right sides, respectively. They are all made of white marble and are in a standing posture. The temple has a grand Mandap of modern construction, having for its support a dozen massive pillars. The floor has been paved with white marble slabs which enrich and heighten the beauty oil the temple. It has also a terrace.

At the entrance to the Gabhara is the Samddhi of Patiram Maharaj, circular in shape. On top of the Samddhi are placed his Padukds. People hold Patiram Maharaj in high esteem and touch his Padukas in reverence and pray for his blessings.

Important festivals like Ram Navmi, Gokul Astami, Tripuri Paurnima, etc., are celebrated amidst great rejoicings. Especially from Asvin Paurnima to Tripuri Paurnima, Kakad Arti (i.e., morning puja and songs sung in praise of God) is performed. Besides this, in the month of Mdgha an annual Bazar is held in commemoration of the great Saint Patiram Maharaj who was and is still revered equally by the Hindus and the Muslims.

Krsnaji Buva Math.

This Math houses the Samadhi of a couple. A certain Buva by name Krsnaji thought of taking Samadhi but his wife, at the thought of parting away from her husband was overcome by grief and began to shed tears. Krsnaji did not swerve from his path and at the time of taking Samadhi he blessed his wife by placing his palm on her head and surprisingly enough she also swooned to death on the spot. The Samddhi to be seen in the Math is that of this couple. It is circular in shape and is 1.829 metres (6' feet) in height at the top of which is a tulsi plant. By the side of the Samadhi in the same Math are placed some idols of different Gods. The Math has a marble tile-paved Sabhamandap which is 3.048 x 2.438 metres (SO' x 8') and is a supported by 4 wooden pillars. On the walls of the Mandap are engraved in relief the images of numerous deities.

Sahid lascar Savli Dargah.

The dargah is situated to the north-west of Khapa town and is built in memory of one Savli who died fighting the enemies. It is said that though the head of Sahid Laskar Savli was separated from the trunk, the trunk went on fighting for some time. The dargdh was built on the spot where the trunk fell. The wall enclosing the dargdh is in a dilapidated condition. The entrance door is a solid work in masonry and measures 1.829 x 1.219 metres (6' x 4'). On entering, to the left, there are sort of cavity-like shades in the wall where people coming from far-off places cook their food. By the side of it is the idadh which is used as a prayer place by the Muslims. In the centre, on a plinth measuring about 12.192x9.144x3.048 metres (4' x 30' x 10') is the tomb of Sahid Laskar Savli and around his dargah are the tombs of the soldiers who also died fighting along with him. It has been proposed to construct a shade on the tomb of Sahid Savli. A handsome donation is offered by a resident of Khapa for the purpose. In one of the corners of the dargah is a banyan tree with its copious growth providing shade nearly for all the tombs. The area of the dargah measures 24.3840 x 21.3360 metres (80' x 70').

Urus is held here and likewise the festival of Muharram when Muslims as well as Hindus meet together to pay their respects to Sahid Laskar Savli.

KONDHALI.

Kondhali: A large agricultural village of the Katol tahsil, lying 17.703 km. (11 miles) south by west of Katol and connected by a P.W.D. road. It is also connected with Nagpur from which it is 54.718 km. (34 miles) distant, by the old Nagpur-Amravati main road which is now known as the national highway running via Bazarganv. Its population as per 1961 Census is 6,242. Kondhali was at one time a depot for the important trade between Nagpur and Amravati, but after the railway was built it lost much of its importance. It has a weekly market held on every Wednesday and is one of the most frequented in the tahsil. It also lies in a more or less detached cotton-growing area and has a brisk business in the transport of cotton which is largely carried on by Telis. Most of the Government forest reserves of the Tahsil lie around Kondhali. The village has a ginning factory. It has a high school, Urdu primary school, Marathi primary school, a village post office and a police station. Recently the village has been electrified. It has the office of the Forest Ranger and comes under Grampancayat administration.

KUHI.

Kuhi: A large village in the Umred tahsil, situated on the bank of the Nag river, 19.31 km. (12 miles) north of Umred town and 35.40 km. (22 miles) from Nagpur. According to 1961 Census the population of the village is 4,163. Kuhi is noted for its mango groves and guavas and has one of the largest tanks in the district. The ruined shrine and temple of Rukhar Maharaj are held in great veneration. This saint is credited with miraculous powers and it is said that on one occasion he fed 500 beggars with two loaves of bread, which remained intact after all had been served. On another occasion the giver of a marriage-feast found himself without provision for his guests, but the saint supplied a small measure of rice, which when cooked sufficed to feed a hundred people. Not less curious are the legends connected with the tombs of two Muhammedans, whose blessings are invoked by the Hindus and Muslims alike for the cure of their cattle.

The village has a weekly cattle market and is visited by traders from Kamptee every year to make purchases of grain. Kuhi is a railway station on the Nagpur-Nagbhir railway route which has added to its importance. It has a primary and a middle school, a post office and a police station which was formerly just a police outpost. Of late a health centre, a veterinary hospital and a large number of co-operative societies have been established. The bricks and tiles manufactured here are well-known in the district. A motorable road is under construction which when completed would link the village with Nagpur-Canda road thus facilitating transport and communications.

Mansar.

Mansar: Mansar is a village on the Great Northern road, 24.140 km. (15 miles) north of Kamptee and 8.047 km. (5 miles) from Ramtek. The road to Ramtek takes off here from the Great Northern road which is now called Nagpur-Jubbulpore national highway. It has a fine tank from which rice, betel-vine and wheat are irrigated, and after which the village is called Manisar or the Jewel Tank. Mansar is one of the eight sacred places surrounding Ramtek, and pilgrims to the great shrine come here to bathe in the tank on the day of Caitra Paurnimd when a fair is held. The fair is attended by about 2,000 people coming from a distance of 32.18 km. (20 miles) around. The village is overhung by low bills, the southern slopes of which are strewn with brickbats, while here and there the foundations of brick walls crop up through the surface. Parts of the old walls have been excavated and the bricks taken for building houses in the village. At the eastern end of the hills on level ground near the corner of the tank is a great mound, the lower part of which appears to be composed of solid brickwork. It has all the appearance of the stump of a Buddhist stupa. About the base of the mound, bricks have been dug out which appear to have belonged to the broad walls of massive buildings. The bricks measured 0.525 by 0.285 by 0.08 metre (171/2 " by 91/2 " by 3") and are cemented with mud. The area covered with the brick foundations is too small for a town or civil settlement, but large enough for a religious colony, and the place may have once been a Buddhist monastery. No images or stone-carvings are to be found except one broken figure, which the people believe to be that of the female demon Hidimba. She is a mythological personage in the Mahabharata, who saved the Pandava brothers from being devoured in their sleep by her brother, the giant Hidimba. She had fallen in love with Bhima and he married her as a reward for her action. Many of the adventures of the Pandavas as related in the great Hindu epic have been assigned by rural tradition to different places in the Nagpur district, but such stories cannot be considered to have any historical truth. About the tank it is related that formerly any traveller who halted for the night on its banks would find brass cooking-vessels floating on the water for his use. The only condition was that he must return them to the tank in the morning. But one covetous traveller did not return them and since then they have ceased to appear. A temple of Krsna, the deity of the Mahanubhav stands by the tank, and a local gathering of the Mahanubhav is held at Mansar in the month of Caitra (April).

Manganese ore deposits occur in the bills near the village and are being worked by the Central India Mining Company. Beautiful orange and deep-orange spessartite crystals are found in the pit known as the 'Kamptee Lady'. The betel-vine grown at Mansar is of a somewhat bitter variety and was much liked by the Bhosle Rani, Baka Bai. Since the removal of the Court the leaf has become less fashionable and now commands a much lower price than that of Ramtek. The village has a traveller's bungalow. It has a sub-station of electric power-house.

MAKARDHOKDA.

Makardhokda: A large village in the Umred tahsil, about 12.87 km. (8 miles) west of Umred and 25.75 km. (16 miles) from Bori station. It is on the Bori-Umred road and is excellently situated on fertile level land near the Amb river. It is also connected to the Nagpur-Canda road by a pucca road which passes through Uti village on its way. The population of the village according to 1961 Census is 2,507. A number of Kosti weavers reside here and there is also a considerable number of Bhamtas (nomadic tribe) who weave coarse canvas matting. They also grow hemp. The cultivators sublet their fields to them for a year for this purpose, as the cultivation of the crop renders the land more productive. The village has a school and a post office. It is administered by a Grampancayat. Formerly it was a part of the Bhosle Raja's estate.

MANDHAL.

Mandhal: A large village in Umred tahsil, 17.70 km. (11 miles) from Umred towards Veltur situated on the Amb river. The population of the village according to 1961 Census is 3,835. The village contains a fine tank and on its bank is a small shrine erected to the memory of one Maroti Maharaj, a Brahmin devotee about whom there are several legends, one being to the effect that he had a small tail. It is also said that he addressed all women as ' Mother' and would suck from their breasts. There was formerly a cloth-weaving industry, but most of the Kostis have left the place. The village has a primary and a middle school and a post office. It has Grampancayat which looks after its administrative affairs. The land of this village is fertile. Chillis are produced in abundance and the village ranks first in the whole of tahsil in this respect.

MOHPA.

Mohpa, in Saoner tahsil, is situated in 21° 19' N. and 78°5'Y E. on a tributary of the river Candrabhaga. It is at a distance of 33.796 km. (twenty-one miles) from Nagpur, the district headquarters and 12.874 km. (eight miles) to the north-west of Kalamesvar. The Candrabhaga cuts the town into two halves. The town was subject to frequent floods during the rainy season, the worst on record being that of 1906 when large areas were inundated and hundreds of houses washed away. Now a dam has been constructed across the river which has not only saved the town from the fury of nature but has brought large tracts of land under irrigation downstream. According to the Census of 1961 the population of the town is 5,561. Due to the excellent fertility of the soil, the people of this region are well-to-do and prosperous. The weekly market held at Mohpa is one of the most important in the tahsil particularly the cattle market, which is perhaps the largest in the district. Garden produce is largely dealt in and there is also a fairly good trade in cotton.

The municipality at Mohpa was established in February, 1953. It has an area of 1.9 square miles under its jurisdiction. The total number of councillors who constitute the municipal committee is 10. One seat is reserved for women, The president is chosen by the councillors from amongst themselves. The vice-president is cither nominated by the president or is elected.

There are five sub-committees set up by the municipal committee and they function as per by-laws of the municipal Act.

Income and Expenditure.—In the year 1961-62. the income accrued to the municipality from various sources totalled Rs. 1,48,315.42. It excludes income under extraordinary and debt heads. The income heads are municipal rates and taxes contributing Rs. 97,516.65 ; realization under special acts Rs. 1,653.29 ; revenue derived from municipal property and powers apart from taxation Rs. 10,289.20 ; grants and contributions for special and general purposes Rs. 34,114.78 and from miscellaneous sources Rs. 4,387.00.

During the same year the expenditure incurred by the municipality excluding that on extraordinary and debt heads amounted to Rs. 1,50,135.84. The deficit was met by drawing upon previous year's balance. The following heads show the expenditure incurred: general administration and collection charges Rs. 21,620.50; public safety Rs. 11,106.39; public health and convenience Rs. 86,792.37 ; public instruction Rs. 27,225.37 ; contributions Rs. 1,701.00 and miscellaneous Rs. 1,690.00.

Administrative Organisation.—There are no separate departments to run the municipal administration. It is looked after by the secretary. He is directly responsible to the president.

Municipal Works.—The municipality has constructed a market at a cost of Rs. 44,600. It has a sarai attached to it which is used by the people coming to the cattle market.

Health.—There is an allopathic dispensary which is under the management of the municipality. There is also a veterinary dispensary. It is run by the government. The municipality shares 50 per cent of the costs incurred in this behalf.

Drainage.—The town does not have any special type of drainage. Neither are there pucca drains. All the drains are ' kutcha'.
Water-supply.—Wells, private as well as public, are the only source of water-supply.

Education.—Primary education is compulsory and is under municipal management. During 1961-62, there were 334 pupils receiving primary education. In addition to the municipal primary schools, the government maintains one primary school exclusively for girls. There is a high school, established in 1911 and run by the Mohpa Education Society.

Roads.—There are no asphalted roads in the town. The metalled roads measure four and a half furlongs while the length of unmetalled roads is two miles and five furlongs.

Cremation and Burial Places,—Cemeteries and cremation places are managed and maintained by the respective communities.
Amenities.—The municipality maintains a small library.

Objects.

Mohpa Gadhi

The Gadhi which stood on the south of the Mohpa town is all in ruins and only the few remains indicate that sometime in the past there stood on the place a ground fort popularly called Mohpa Gadhi. It was built by a Maratha nobleman by the name Khandagale, who created for himself a jahagir at the place. The Jahagir was later transferred to the Bhosles of Nagpur. The Bhosle handed it over to one of his servants by the name Kadarali who was killed in the war of independence of 1857. At the spot where formerly the Gadhi stood is now located a maternity hospital and a government primary school for girls.

Mahadeva Mandir or Haralaya.

The temple of Mahadev was originally constructed by one Sri Pamaji Cimote who later gifted it to a Tambuli Brahman. The stone inscription adjacent to the temple specifically enumerates the event. The temple, in architecture, is similar to the one that stands on the banks of Godavari at Nasik built by Ahilyabai. The temple is beautifully decorated and the sculpture and engravings in the temple are a treat to the eyes. The inner of the temple measures 20.903 m.2 (15' x 15') and contains a Sivling. The Ling is shadowed by an image of Trimurti (Brahma, Visnu and Mahes) along with Sesa, all made of copper and measuring about 0.91 metre (3 feet) in height. In addition to the Ling there are idols of Goddess Annapurna, God Ganapati and many others of Naga Gods and Goddesses. Exactly opposite to the Sivling on the wall is a beautiful frame picture of God Sankar. Quite close to. the temple flows the river Madhukalyani which adds to the glamour of the temple especially so on full-moon days when the pinnacle shines in the moonlit night and when the temple structure is beautifully reflected in the river down below. From the architecture the temple does not seem to belong to remote history. The architecture has the influence of mid-history sculpture. On the two sides of the entrance to the temple stand erect the statues of Jay and Vijay, the traditional and legendary door-keepers of Bhagvan Visnu. On the door is one carved picture, depicting numerous episodes from the Puranic period. On both sides of the temple are the idols of God Ganapati and Maruti in warrior dress. The temple is supposed to be 175 years old.

The other places worth a visit in the Mohpa town are the Vitthal Mandir built by one Sri Bhagvanji Desmukh and the numerous wells with stone steps built by one Sri Jogoba Taras to remove the scarcity of water felt by the residents of the Mohpa town. It is also reported that the living exponent of the Theoso-phtst Philosophy, Sri Krsnamurti, was born in his pre-life about 2,400 years back in Mohpa town when he assumed the name of Bhoj Yallam Rsi.

Temple Of Goddess Tukai.

Like the Visvesvari temple, the temple of Goddess Tukai is also reported to he old. The sculpture of the idol shows that the idol must have been made in historical times. It is held in high esteem by all sections of the Hindu Community. The temple has a lowly constructed ceiling. The idol of the Goddess has four hands, one of the hands is on the hips, one held in a blessing position. The other two having their middle lingers closed and the index and the last finger is of a considerable length. The idol reminds the visitor of the statue of Sita in the same temple at Ramtek with wide eyes, straight nose, a beautifully decorated crown, earrings and excellent pieces of neck and hand ornaments. All these enhance the appearance of the idol and make it pleasing to look at.

Tukaram Maharaj Math.

The Math is in commemoration of Sri Tukaram Maharaj (a namesake of the famous Marat hi saint poet Tukaram) who was born at Mohpa on Vaisakha Suddha Saptami in Sake 1816. The samadhi is built at the spot which was the birth place of Sri Tukaram Maharaj. The monument measures about 0.91 metre (3) in height and is built of pure white marble. The inner measures about 3.05 x 3.06 metres (10 'x 10') and presents a construction of varied marble combinations. Two festivals are held, one in Asvin and the other in Caitra. On Caitra Suddha Ekddasi a chariot procession is held in great eclat.

Sacchidanand Devasthan.

The Devasthan contains the monument of Sri Sacchidanand, a disciple of Sri Accutanand in the family of the great poet saint Sri Eknath. Sri Saccidanand was an oldest devotee of Bhagvan Sri Krsna and spent his life in the propagation of the principles of the Bhagvat dharma. The monument is built in stone and measures about 1.82 metres (6') in height. The entrance to the samadhl is through doors which arc all made of brass. On the top of the samadhi are placed the legendary footwear (paduka) of Sri Saccidanand. The footwear are made of black stone. Very close to the samadhi of Sri Saccidanand" is the monument erected in honour of Sri Vamansvami, a disciple of Sri Saccidanand. It is 1.52 metres (five feet) in height. Both these monuments are erected at the place which was the former residence of Sri Saccidanand. In the old god-room of this residence are the idols of Bhagvan Sri Krsna, Satyabhama and Rukhmini with the idol of Sri Krsna in the centre. All the idols are carved out of black rock. The temple thus formed is reported to be about 200 years old and is built in a simple style. The temple has a pinnacle which is said to be one brought by Raghuji Bhosle during his campaigns in the province of Bengal. Two festivities are celebrated on Jyestha Suddha Ekddasi and Margasirsa Suddha Ekadasi, respectively when considerable number of devotees assemble from surrounding areas. The festivities continue -for four days. It is said that the idol of Bhagvan Krsna contained in the temple was brought by Raghuji Bhosle (second) from Katak. The temple possesses inam lands in Lohagad, Budhala and Dhan.

Visvesvari Temple.

It is one of the oldest temples in Mohpa reported to be 400 years old. The temple contains an idol of Goddess Visvesvari about 0.76 metres (two and a half feet) high and all made of sandalwood. Roundabout the idol of Goddess Visvesari are the petty idols of the bhaktaganas of Visvesvari which number about 20. The temple has a low ceiling. The entire structure is devoid of any architecture. The Goddess is worshipped by a cobbler and is held in veneration by all the Hindus. A considerable fair is held in honour of the Goddess on Caitra Suddha 15th when many devotees gather to pay their homage to the Goddess.

MOUDA.

Mouda is a large village in the Ramtek tahsil, 33.796 km. (21 miles) from Nagpur on the Great Eastern road which is now called Nagpur-Calcutta national highway, and situated on the Kantian river. It has a population of about 3,356 according to 1961 Census. Mouda is surrounded by live mango groves and lias an old sail pillar, on the face of which is a rudely carved female figure. It is famous for weaving industry and rice trade. The village has a police station, a school, a high school and an inspection bungalow.

There are three primary schools which meet the needs of the village. The village comes under the stage VI Development Block and has an office of the same. There is a primary health e run by the Director, Public Health, Maharastra State,. Poona. A civil and veterinary dispensary is run and managed by the Panchayat Samiti. The village also has a post office and a branch of the Nagpur Central Co-operative Bank. Recently the village has started receiving tap water-supply.

MOVAD.

Situation and population.

Movad (21°25' N and 78°25' E, P. 5,802) is a small but flourishing municipal town of the Katol tahsil, situated alone the Wardha river, in the north-west corner of the district, 93.322 km. (58 miles) from Nagpur. The population of the town as per 1961 Census is 5,841. The tract of the country surrounding Movad town is one of the richest in the district.

History.

Movad appears to have some kind of corporate existence in remote times. The old Muhammedan inhabitants profess to have seen some deeds granted by Aurangzeb to the people of the town. The Muslim population is gradually migrating to other areas. The town was situated on debatable land between the Hyderabad and Nagpur territories. The land owners used to divide their tributes of land revenue between the two powers in proportion to the strength of each for the time being. The present municipality was constituted in 1867, and the town has been prosperous ever since. It was decided to abolish the municipality as the town is very small but taking into consideration the excellent work it has done in public interests and. public utility, the proposal was dropped. As the financial position of the municipality improves it spends accordingly to provide the people with better civic amenities.

Present Condition.

During the decade ending 1901, the average income of the municipality was Rs. 3,600 but now it has risen gradually. In the year 1961-62 the income of the municipality, excluding extraordinary and debt heads amounted to Rs. 88,231. In the same year the expenditure incurred came to Rs. 85,504. Up-till 1906, Movad was considered to be the dirtiest town in the tahsil. But the reforms carried out by its leading residents and the municipal committee have resulted into much improvement.

Buildings.

A view of the Movad town can best be had from the high ground on the bank of the Wardha river towards Khairgaiiv. From this point the five old stone revetments built by the Marathas, and the clean white-washed buildings arranged round the open market place, present a scene of tidiness and well being that will not be easily equalled. To the north a large embankment is built for protection from the river. The embankment is being raised high by 1.524 metres (5') more as a result of the floods hitting the town and the surrounding villages in 1961. The municipal office, the dispensary, the high school and the police station, which all open on to the market place, are well constructed buildings of more than usual pretensions. The town has a high school, primary schools, a police station and veterinary and civil dispensaries. It has also an office of the Maharastra State Electricity Board. A child welfare centre was started in 1958. There is also a privately run theatre.

The town is connected with Narkhed and Katol by bus routes.

Trade.

Movad has benefited considerably by the decay of the old Amner town which used to attract all the produce and the trade of the north-western part of the tahsil. Railway caused the final downfall of Amner, and its northern trade found its natural market at Movad. The weekly market is held on every Wednesday.

Miscellaneous.

Movad is well-known for its handloom cloth and there are as many as 400 persons engaged in this occupation. Movad is still recognised for its skilled carpenters and fine pieces of furniture. There is one very old temple of Krsna which was built by a rich moneylender by name Candravan Jagannath Chatrapure. There is also a mosque reported to be some 100 years old.

Municipality.

Movad is a municipal town situated on the banks of the river Wardha in Nagpur district.

Constitution.—Established in May 1867, it had an area of 12.95 km.2 (5 sq. miles) under its jurisdiction in 1951.

Twelve members constitute the municipal committee. Out of these, one seat is reserved for women and one for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The president is elected from amongst the elected members and the vice-president is nominated by the president.

To carry but the various functions efficiently the following sub-committees have been formed: (i) Finance subcommittee, (ii) Public Health sub-committee, (iii) Public Works sub-committee, (iv) Building and Nazul sub-committee, (v) Education subcommittee and (vi) Waterworks sub-committee. To facilitate their work, the municipal committee has delegated certain powers to these sub-committees. It holds the beads of these sub-committees responsible for the disposal and transaction of business of their respective departments.

Income and Expenditure.—During the financial year ending March 1962, the total income of the municipality, excluding extraordinary and debt heads but including the previous year's closing balance, amounted to Rs. 89,431, which comprised municipal rates and taxes contributing Rs. 24,574, revenue derived from conservancy Rs. 5.519, from markets Rs. 10,850, education, medical and public health accounting for Rs. 47,288 and the previous year's closing balance carried forward, Rs. 1,200. During the same year, expenditure on the corresponding items excluding extraordinary and debt heads amounted to Rs. 85,504; which included expenditure on general administration Rs. 18,217; water-supply Rs. 68 ; conservancy Rs. 10,815; markets Rs. 217; roads Rs. 286, education, medical and public health Rs. 55,801.

Cremation and Burial grounds.—The municipality does not maintain any cremation and burial places. However, these places are managed by the respective communities.

Drainage.—There are ' kutcha ' drains as well as stone-lined gutters. The water is allowed to gather in cess-pools and then it is removed out of the town by the municipal scavengers. An expenditure of Rs. 1,062 was incurred on the repairs and upkeep of the drains during the financial year under review.

Water-supply.—The municipality has no water-supply scheme to provide water to its populace. At present wells form the principal source of water-supply.

Education.—There are separate primary schools, for boys and girls, run by the municipality to implement the programme of compulsory primary education. Compulsory education has been in force since 1953. The total strength of the boy's primary school was 405 with 11 teachers, while that of the girls was 244 with seven lady teachers. The municipality received a grant of Rs. 448 during the year under review as government aid towards the enforcement of compulsory primary education.

The municipality also manages a high school to impart education up to the secondary level. Its total strength is 411. The school has 16 teachers. During the year 1962 the municipality received an income of Rs. 46,915 by way of fees and revenue from education and grants for educational purposes. Correspondingly it had to incur an expenditure to the extent of Rs. 52,177 for the purpose of running the school and implementing the programme of primary education.

Public Health.—A medical dispensary is run by the municipality which gives free medical aid and advice to the poor people. This has gone a long way towards the improvement of the health standard of the public. Special arrangement is made to vaccinate the people in times of epidemics.

Recently, a veterinary dispensary has been opened by the government towards which me municipality contributed a sum of Rs. 1,500.

NAGARDHAN.

Nagardhan is a large village 6.437 km. (four miles) south of Ramtek, with a population of 2,920 in 1961 as against 2,647 in 1951. The name is a corruption of the older one of Nandivar-dhan, which is mentioned conjointly with Nagpur in a copper plate found at Devil in Wardha district dated in the year 940 A.D. Nagardhan was thus an old town and was formerly of considerable importance as it gave its name to the district. The local- tradition is that it was founded by a Suryavansi king Nand, but Mr. Hira Lai supposes it to have been established by a king named Nandivardhan belonging to the Sail dynasty, which is mentioned in the Ragholi plate discovered by Mr. C. E. Low in Balaghat. The village has a temple of Kotesvar Mahadev built in the Hemadpanti style without mortar. The ling in the temple is broken by a crack about three feet deep. The story goes that once there was a Gavali woman who worshipped Mahadev very ardently and always, before she went out to sell milk, offered some to the God. In return He caused her milk to increase and she made much money by its sale. Her husband, not understanding how she gets the money, suspected her of bad conduct, and seeing her visits to the temple, concluded that she meets her lover there. One day accordingly he followed her with a spear, intending to surprise and slay the couple. The woman seeing him approaching in wrath prayed to Mahadev to shelter her, and accordingly the ling opened and she crept inside. It has never quite closed again, and since then the crack has remained. The enraged husband struck the ling with his spear and made a hole which is still visible. The famous fair of Kotesvar Mahadev is held on Magh vadhya 14, i.e., on Mahd-sivrdtra day and is attended by about 5,000 people. Besides the usual articles like copper and brass vessels and toys, chillis, brinjals and green vegetables are sold on a large scale.

Near the temple is a tank, known locally as Sankh (conch-shell) Tirtha or Sukla (white), which Mr. Hira Lai suggests may be the Hans (Swan) Tirtha mentioned in the inscription of the temple of Laksman at Ramtek. The inscription states that bathing in the Hans-Tirtha makes one clean of sin, like the whiteness of a swan. Thus, the epithet of white may have come to be attributed to the tank, and the name Hans may have been changed to Sankh. There is a fort said to have been built by the Bhosles with brick walls resembling those of Canda town, and at some distance is a large field known as the Juna Killa or old fort. This was probably the site of the fortress of the early kings. In the field large bricks like those at Mansar are found. Nagardhan is said to be the first place to which the Ponvar Rajputs came after leaving Dhara, their original home in Malva. A number of Jangra Lodhis reside here, who are perhaps the descendants of the fighting classes. The village has a primary school and a post office.

NAGPUR CITY.

Nagpur City (T. Nagpur) lying between 21 °5' N and 79°5' E is situated at a distance of 836.680 km. (520 miles) from Bombay and 1,128.15 km. (701 miles) from Calcutta at the junction of the Bombay-Hovrah, Delhi-Madras, Nagpur-Ramtek, Nagpur-Chindvada and Nagpur-Nagbhir railway lines. It is 362.025 km. (225 miles) from Jubbulpore by rail, 716.005 km. (445 miles) from Allahabad and 907.476 km. (564 miles) from Kanpur. Hyderabad (Deccan) is 511.662 km. (318 miles) distant by road. The foot hills of the Satpuda range are 40.234 km. (25 miles) to the north and the city stands in comparatively level country on the hanks of the small Nag river from which it has taken its name. The site is low but well sloped and to the west and north there are ridges of steep basaltic rock. The area of the city is now 217.56km.2 (84 square miles), the civil station having been merged in 1951.

Population.

The modern city first gathered about the ancient fort of the Gond Rajas. About a century and a half ago it was a collection of small hamlets scattered over a fertile plain, but it has long been an overcrowded and spreading mass of habitation. The present population of the city is 643,659.

History.

The present city of Nagpur was founded at the beginning of the 18th century by the Gond Raja, Bakht Buland. It subsequently became the capital of the Bhosles, was sacked and burnt in 1765 and again partially burnt in 1811 by the Pendharis, but it grew with the growth of the Bhosle Kingdom and was considerably improved by the Rajas of that dynasty. In 1817 it.witnessed the battles of Sitabuldi and Nagpur, which secured British influence in these territories, and in 1853 it lapsed with the kingdom to the British Raj to become the capital of the Central Provinces in 1861. At the time of the upheaval of 1857 there was but little disturbance in the city. A riot occurred in 1896 at the commencement of the famine, and another in 1899 when plague preventive measures were first enforced, but the British succeeded in bringing the situation under control by suppression. The growth and importance of the town was quickened by the advent of the then Great Indian Peninsula Railway, now called the Central Railway, in 1867. With the attainment of Independence in 1947 and the formation of Madhya Prades State it became and continued to be the capital of that State till the reorganisation of States in 1956. At present it forms one of the most important cities of Maharastra State. It is also called the second capital of Maharastra as at least one session of the legislative assembly is held at Nagpur, every year.

Description.

The city of Nagpur has been naturally divided into two parts. one lying east and south of Sitabuldi Fort and the railway station and the other, known as civil lines lying to the west and north of these. The railway station has been rebuilt on a much larger scale with a majestic and towering front view. A traveller coming out of the main gate of the railway station catches a beautiful view of the Sitabuldi fort. The road from the railway station runs in three directions, viz, Sadar, Sitabuldi and Hansapuri. The road from behind the railway station (via orange market), leads towards Jumma Talav, a large rectangular lake built by the Bhosles and improved in later years. Now in the middle of the lake a beautiful garden with a tiny temple is to be seen and this has added more fascination to the spot.

Beyond this lake the old main street, runs through the Jumma Darvaza. remnant of the city wall and leads directly to the centre of the city. Here stood the old Bhosle palace which was burnt down in 1864. Part of its site is occupied by the Town Hall and opposite this is the police station. To the south lies the Sakkardara garden. Along the road leading to Sakkardara, to the right is situated the Mohota Science College and opposite to it lies the residential colony called Resambag.

The main business street of the city is the Hansapuri Road which runs from west to east. At the eastern end where the Bhandara road runs out. is the site of the Itvari Bazar. Along this road at Gandhi Bag a residential colony for police families has been constructed. In this area are situated many saw-mills. It has become the busiest and the most thickly populated area of Nagpur. Some eighty years ago Nagpur could be described as a mere huddle of habitations. It had no metalled roads or wide streets but only narrow lanes and paths of beaten clay which became bogs of mud in the rainy season, and it contained many unsightly and insanitary ponds and waste spaces. But today the face of the city has been completely changed. A network of broad and handsome roads has been built connecting the different parts of the city which gleam in the sunshine. The railway station as has been stated elsewhere has been practically rebuilt on a grand scale and has become one of the most important functions of India, where Bombay-Hovrah, Delhi-Madras, Nagpur-Ramtek, Nagpur-Chindvada and Nagpur-Nagbhir railway routes meet. The water-supply from Ambazari lake, first brought to the city in 1873 and since then from time to time enlarged, was inadequate to meet the demand and hence the waters of the Gorevada tank and the Kanhan river had to be tapped. The Khaparkheda Thermal Power Station, commissioned in 1950, provides electricity to the city. The city has a fair natural drainage in the Nag river. The corporation has taken up the work of constructing underground drainage system which is estimated to cost Rs. 159 lakhs. The system, when completed, would meet one of the long-felt needs of the city.

The city has no great claims to picturesque beauty but when viewed from higher lands the slopes of Sitabuldi bills form a fine background to the waters of the Jumma lake, and the crowded lanes and streets are so screened by the greenery of many trees that only the chimneys of the mills and factories reveal the presence of a city.The part of the city popularly called Civil Lines, lying west and north of the railway and of Sitabuldi hill, has a much better natural site. In Bhosle times it was the garden suburb. Since then great improvements have been carried out and gardens of striking scenery have been laid out. In 1891, on a steep isolated hill to the north of Sitabuldi, the Government House was built. Beyond this runs a longer ridge on which stands the Roman Catholic Seminary and Retreat, a tall and solid building. Under these hills to the south lies the flat plain, laid out on the usual Indian lines with wide roads and compounds, cricket and foot-hall grounds, polo grounds, a race course (where no races take place now), and a golf course. The older part is a park of trees from which only the larger buildings show, the Roman Catholic Cathedral, the English Church, the Museum, the Club House and the Victoria Institute. The new secretariat building; is prominent and opposite stands the towering building of the General Post Office built in red bricks. In the vicinity arc the majestic buildings of the High Court, Circuit House, Reserve Bank of India, and the Municipal Corporation. Beyond these, to the south, several houses have been constructed for the government officers. On a fine site near the Telankhedi lake the building of the club faces the defunct race course and the new polo ground. Much of the part of this plain has been planted with trees and these plantations give a picturesque view to the plain. The ground to the north of the hills called Takli is a little elevated and is within easy reach of the railway. Several new bungalows have been recently built here by private individuals and more arc being constructed. There has been much building extension from Takli northwards to Kamptee.

Orange cultivation and handloom weaving.

Nagpur is noted in India for its orange cultivation and for the cotton and silk fabrics woven by the Kosti (handloom weavers). Despite the keen competition of mill-made cloth, the handlooms still attract the attention of a considerable number of buyers. Nagpur is by far the biggest orange market in India. Since the advent of the railway, Nagpur has become one of the leading towns of industrial and commercial activity in India.

Cotton Mills and Factories.

Empress Mills and the Model Mills arc the most prominent and occupy an important position in the cotton textile manufacturing of Nagpur. The Empress Mills were opened in 1877. Since then from time to time they have been greatly expanded and revitalised.

Mangenese Mines.

In recent years the mining of manganese and coal in the M district and in the neighbouring districts has added to the trade of Nagpur. The Indian Bureau of Mines has established its office at Nagpur. The railways have given impetus to trade and have eased the transport problem. The mineral wealth of the district has enriched the city of Nagpur.

Printing Presses and Newspapers.

In the city there, are nearly ten leading presses besides the government press and a considerable number of small presses. The newspapers(More details in Chapter 18) of the city include two English papers, three Marathi and three Hindi. Thus, Nagpur has adequate means of keeping its people informed on all local and international topics of importance.

General Trade.
Apart from the bag factories and cotton mills the general trade has flourished to a great extent. The chief items of wholesale trade are orange, cotton, jowar, wheat, rice, timber, firewood, kerosene oil, cloth, food-stuffs, leather goods, tobacco, medicines and tin. The trade in wood and timber is especially heavy and there are a number of saw-mills and furniture marts. The import of timber is accompanied by great activity in brick-making owing to the constant demand for new houses and buildings. The installations of oil-pumping sets in the neighbourhood of the railway station are numerous. Several decent shops of crockery have been established during the last ten years. The position of milk supply has considerably improved with the operation of Nagpur Milk Scheme on the lines of Aarey Milk Colony at Bombay.

Police Institutions and Officers.

At Nagpur several government offices are established. It is the headquarters of the Divisional Commissioner, the Deputy Inspector General of Police(Now Police Commissioner, Nagpur, is in charge of the City.) and the Conservators of Forests of Nagpur and Canda circles. Near the District Court a new building for Tahsil office has been erected. At Nagpur is a bench of the High Court. Nagpur has civil and criminal courts and a number of other government offices. It has a broadcasting station of All India Radio.

Jails and Asylums.

Besides these, there is. the Central Jail. The chief industries of the jail are carpet-weaving and upholstering in cane. There is also an asylum for lunatics.

Gardens.

Nagpur in olden days had very few spots for recreation. In addition to the old gardens of Telankhedi, Maharajbag and Sakkardara many gardens like Gandhi Bag, Ambazari and Sukravar Bag have sprung up under the aegis of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. The Maharajbag is the principal public garden of Nagpur. It contains a fair zoological collection and of late an aviary has also been constructed. The Ambazari garden is always full of activity and is lively in the evenings. Close to Sitabuldi stands the Museum which contains an excellent collection of archaeological remains.

Religious Institutions.

The city has many shrines dedicated to Hindu Gods, a mention of which appears elsewhere, Nagpur is the headquarters of a Roman Catholic diocese and has a cathedral, a convent and a seminary.

Military and Police.

The town of Kamptee lies 10 miles to the north of Nagpur and the only regular force in the city itself is the 118 Infantry Battalion of the territorial army stationed in the fort of Sitabuldi. Police force has been considerably reinforced and reorganised since the reorganisation of States and now there is regular patrolling by the police. The head police station is known as Kotvali.

Educational Institutions.

Nagpur is considered to be a great seat of learning. It has two Science Colleges, three Arts Colleges, one Agricultural, one Commerce, a Basic Training College, a Government Polytechnic, a Law College, a Veterinary College and Laksmi Narayan Institute of Technology and many more primary, secondary and other educational institutions. Formerly colleges in Nagpur were affiliated to the Allahabad University but with the establishment of the Nagpur University in 1943 all the colleges are now affiliated to this University.

Medical Institutions.

The chief medical institutions of Nagpur are the Medical College and Hospital (situated near Hanuman Nagar), the Mayo Hospital, Muir Memorial Hospital, Daga Hospital and a number of others which adequately serve their purpose. The old hospitals have been enlarged and expanded and new ones are set up. There are also private hospitals, dispensaries and clinics.

As the capital of Bhosles in the past and the State of Madhya Pradesh in recent times, Nagpur has glorious traditions and the city presents a fine blend of old and new. Since historical times Nagpur has been culturally, historically, and commercially an important place. To-day Nagpur is having the distinction of being an important administrative centre. The population of the city according to 1961 Census was 643,659.

Nagpur Municipal Corporation.

Constitution.—The present Municipal Corporation came into being as a result of the amalgamation of the old municipal committee and the civil station sub-committee in 1951. At present it covers an area of 217.56 km.2 (84 square miles) which is much more expansive as compared to the corresponding figure of only 20.72 km.2 (eight square miles) in 1908. To facilitate the execution of municipal functions, the area of the corporation is divided into a number of well-marked wards. The city at present has 42 such wards.

The Nagpur Corporation Act has created three authorities which are charged with carrying out the provisions of the Act. They are—
(i) The Corporation,
(ii) The Standing Committee, and
(iii) The Municipal Commissioner.

The Corporation.—The elected councillors constitute the Municipal Corporation. The meetings of the Corporation are presided over by the Mayor and in his absence by the Deputy Mayor. The Mayor and the Deputy Mayor are elected for a term of one year from amongst the councillors themselves.

Standing Committee.—Of the 57 councillors ten are elected to form, this committee. A chairman is elected by these members from amongst themselves. The committee is elected for a term of one year only after the expiration of which period a new committee is elected. The standing committee functions as the finance committee of the Corporation.

Municipal Commissioner.—He is the chief executive officer of the Corporation and is appointed by the State Government for a term of three years. He is a senior member of the Indian Administrative Service. He is subject to the control of the appointing authority and may be removed if three-fourths of the total number of councillors vote for the same. In him are vested extensive, executive and supervisory powers. He exercises overall supervision and control. For carrying out the day-to-day administration, certain powers are delegated to the heads of various departments and it is under his orders that all appointments, suspensions and removals of Corporation servants are carried out. All matters concerning the execution and disposal of business are referred to him.

In addition to the abovementioned bodies, there arc five consultative committees, each consisting of five to nine members. The term of office of these committees is for one year only, The committees are as noted below: —

(i) Public Works Committee.—It advises the public works department on the feasibility of various problems and plans connected with the building of roads, construction of buildings, laying out of gardens and parks and such other related problems. Any matter connected with the public works department may be referred to it and its advice sought.
(ii) Public Health and Market Committee.—To this committee are referred for enquiry, report and opinion any question or problem connected with public health and safety, health of animals in the city, sanitation and vaccination, disposal of sewage and rubbish, markets, slaughter-houses and regulation of dangerous and offensive trades.
(iii) Education Committee.—All questions relating to education and learning are referred to this committee for its opinion and advice.
(iv) Hospital Committee.—Matters connected with hospitals and dispensaries, medical and public health administration are referred to this committee for scrutiny and its opinion.
(v) Water-works Committee.—To this committee questions relating to supply of water and management of water-works belonging to the Corporation are referred to.

The Corporation is empowered to form such additional ad hoc committees as it may think fit and any question pertaining to the matter for which such a committee is constituted may be referred to such committees for enquiry, report and opinion.

Income and Expenditure.—The schedule given below indicates the income and expenditure of the Nagpur Corporation for the financial year 1959-60:—

For purposes of administrative convenience and implementation of the schemes drawn up by the Corporation for the welfare of the people, various departments have been formed and certain powers have been delegated to the heads of these departments so that they may be able to carry out the work assigned to them smoothly and without any hindrance. The departments are—

Engineering department which looks after public works and buildings, estates, lire brigade and lighting.

Assessment department whose work it is to assess the taxes on land and buildings, calculate the ratable value of property, and prepare an yearly register of assessment and demand and send it to the collection department.

Collection department looks after the collection of dues assessed by the assessment department.

Octroi department looks after the recovery of octroi tax on all articles, goods and animals brought into the city.

Education department looks after the implementation of the programmes and plans drawn up for the furtherance and betterment of education.

Sewage farm department is concerned with the removal of sewage and sullage of the city thereby maintaining cleanliness.

Drainage department is concerned with the implementation of the plan of underground drainage system and conversion of private dry type latrines into flush latrines.

Health department looks after the sanitation of the city and supervises the municipal dispensaries, the family planning and child welfare centres.

Water Works department is charged with the duty of completing the water projects undertaken by the Corporation and maintaining the completed ones.

Accounts department maintains the accounts of the Municipal Corporation and deals with provident fund and pension cases of the employees.

Workshop department carries out repairs to the Corporation vehicles and other conservancy implements.

In addition to the above-stated departments, there are others like the General department to which are referred matters other than those referred to the Municipal Commissioner.

The Central Records office keeps all the important records of all the departments.

Public Relations office publishes the weekly journal Nagar jivan and issues press notes. It also functions as the enquiry office.

Press department is concerned with all the printing work of the Corporation and supplying of all sorts of forms and registers.

The formation of separate departments has made for the -administrative efficiency of the Corporation.

Roads.—Roads form the arteries of a city or a nation. They help the speedy transport of goods which is a necessity of the fast changing times. Nagpur Corporation has constructed a network of roads connecting the various parts of the city. The beautiful and broad roads have made Nagpur one of the good cities in India.

The various categories of roads maintained by the Corporation with their length are listed below:—

		Km.
(1)	Cement roads	11.265
(2)	Asphalted roads	130.329
(3)	Water bound macadom roads	96.540
(4)	Boulder roads	61.155
	Total	289.289

Following are the names of some of the important roads and their starting and ending points:—

(1) Abhyankar Road: It starts from the Variety Chowk and meets the Goraksan Sabha Road.
(2) Amravati Road: This road also starts from the Variety Chowk and up to the Law College runs within the municipal limits and further goes to Amravati.
(3) Ansari Road: Starts near the Nagpur University and meets the Station Road.
(4) Institute Road: It begins from the Sankar Nagar Chowk and joins Amravati Road near Laksmi Narayan Institute.
(5) Umred Road: Begins near the Nag river bridge and after running up to the Mohata Science College within the municipal limits goes to Umred.
(6) North Ambazari Road: It starts from near Mor Bhavan and ends at the Ambazari Tank.
(7) Kingsway Road: It starts near the Central Railway station and meets the Residency Road near the Improvement Trust Office.
(8) Kamptee Road: It starts from near the Oriental Building and runs to Kamptee via Indora Chowk.
(9) Katol Road: From the Raj Bhavan Gate it goes to Katol.
(10) Ghat Road: It begins at the Cotton Market Square and meets the Great Nag Canalisation Road.
(11) Chindvada Road: It also begins from near the Raj Bhavan Gate and goes to Chindvada.
(12) Jail Road: It starts from the Variety Chowk and meets the Ajani Chowk just ahead of the Central Jail.
(13) Zilla Kaceri Road: It takes its route near Maharajbag gate and runs up to the Cricket Association ground.
(14) Temple Road: This road starts from the Government Press, Civil Lines and ends at Telankhedi Temple.
(15) Tilak Road: Beginning from Sukravar Tank near the Statue of Lokmanya Tilak it goes up to the Mahal Chowk.
(16) South Ambazari Road: It starts from the Central Jail and goes to Ambazari Tank via Sraddhanand Peth,
(17) Bhandara Road: It starts from the Sahid Chowk and goes to Bhandara.
(18) Mahatma Gandhi Road: The road beginning at Variety Chowk and going up to the Railway Bridge is called the Mahatma Gandhi Road.
(19) Mount Road: This road starts from the Seminary Mount and meets the Kamptee road a few yards ahead of the Mutual Building.
(20) Wardha Road: It starts from the Anjani Chowk and runs to Wardha after passing from near the aerodrome.
21) Central Avenue Road: The road starting from near the Mayo Hospital and running up to the Gandhibag is called the Central Avenue Road.

There are many more roads but the roads listed above are some of the most important ones. The Nagpur Corporation maintains and takes care to repair and develop the road system from time to time.,

Water-supply and waterworks.—With the gradual increase in the population, the Corporation is faced with the acute and pressing problem of supplying potable water to the populace.

The city gets its supply of water from (i) Ambazari Tank, (ii) Gorevada Tank and (iii) Kanhan River.

(i) Ambazari Tank: The tank is situated to the south-west of the city and is perhaps the oldest one. The tank is well built and has a catchment area of 15.54 km.2. Its capacity is 6,191,640 m.3 (221.13 million cubic feet) above the siphon lifting level. The daily draw of water from this tank is over 10.012 m. litres (2.2 million gallons).

(ii) Gorevada Tank: It was constructed in 1911 and has a catchment area of 28.8008 km3. (11.12 square miles) situated to the north-west of the city. The tank has a capacity of 7.70896 million m.3 (275.32 million C. ft.) above filter level. The daily draw of water from this reservoir is 18.20 million litres (4 million gallons). Near the reservoir are installed three filters with a capacity of filtering 1½ million gallons each per day and the pumping station.

(iii) Kanhan Waterworks: As both the above sources were not found to be adequate to meet the increasing demand for water the Kanhan waterworks was. taken up and built. A masonry barrage has been constructed on the river Kanhan for storing-water. The barrage has 10 openings, each of 9.1440 metres (30) length. The main waterworks is situated within the limits of the Kamptee cantonment. It has six filters of the rapid gravity type, each with a capacity of filtering 6.8189 million litres (1 ½ million gallons) of water per day. Also installed is a huge pumping station with pumps having capacities up to 950 H. P. Over 34.0950 million litres (7.5 million gallons) of water is drawn from the works daily. It is proposed to increase the capacity to 68.190 million litres (15 million gallons) a day. This target would be achieved on completion of the second stage of the Kanhan Waterworks.

It may be stated that during the financial year 1959-60 the income derived from water-supply amounted to Rs. 25-25 lakhs, while the expenditure came to Rs. 16.38 lakhs.

Drainage.—Well laid-out drains are essential for a planned city. With this in view the Nagpur Corporation has drawn up a plan of underground drainage system which, when completed, would add to the health and sanitary conditions of the city of Nagpur.The scheme is expected to cost about Rs. 159 lakhs. The work has already started. The dry type of latrines which were common, till recently, are being replaced by flush system. Side by side the work of constructing big open nullas has been taken up to keep the city clean of the filthy water and refuse. The dirt, if not removed, serves as a breeding place for mosquitoes and other parasites which spread malaria and other types of epidemics. A part of sewage water is utilised in cultivating about 60.70 hectares (150 acres) of land.

Health.—Keeping up the health conditions of the people in the modern industrial cities has become a very important problem of the day. The programme of development of health standard envisages mainly expansion of medical aid facilities, introduction of preventive measures and schemes aimed at improving public sanitation and water-supply. To achieve this goal the Corporation has opened thirteen Ayurvedic dispensaries, ten allopathic dispensaries, three Unani and one Nature Cure Clinic including a mobile dispensary. These dispensaries give treatment to a number of patients every day. In addition to this, there are outdoor dispensaries attached to the various government hospitals. The Employees' State Insurance Scheme of the Government is also running five dispensaries which treat all the industrial workers. These dispensaries are located in different parts of the town.

To check the spread of diseases and outbreak of epidemics, separate arrangements are made from time to time to vaccinate and inoculate the people. For this purpose the Corporation has maintained one isolation hospital for segregation and treatment. Besides there is a T. B. clinic at Itwari maintained by the government.

With a view to encourage family planning, six family planning clinics have been opened, three for men and three for women. A few child welfare centres have also been set up.

In all there are three veterinary dispensaries out of which two are run by the State Government while the third is run by the Corporation.

The medical facilities thus made available both by the State Government and the Corporation have definitely tended to improve the health standard of the people.

Education.—Primary education is compulsory in the city and it is looked after by the Education Officer. Separate sections for boys and girls have been created. The boys' section is divided into three zones, whereas the girls' section has been divided into two zones. Each zone is supervised by a superintendent. In 1959-60 there were 1,494 teachers in the primary schools and the number of pupils (both boys and girls) was 49,138. The Municipal Corporation had to incur an expenditure to the tune of Rs. 30.45.135 during the same year.

Fire Service.—The Nagpur Corporation maintains a good fire brigade equipped with modern lire engines to meet any emergency. In view of the wide expanse of the city three stations have been established in its different parts. These are: (i) Civil Fire Station, (ii) Ganjipeth Fire Station and (iii) Lakadganj Fire Station.

These stations together provide employment to over hundred persons.

Markets.—In the various parts of the city the Corporation has constructed cement platforms covered with tin shades where weekly bazars are held. In addition to these, there are the following markets: i) Phule Vegetable Market, (ii) Netaji Market, (iii) Gokulpeth Market and (iv) Temple Bazar Market.

Cremation and Burial Places.—There are separate cremation and burial places for different communities.

The following four burial places are exclusively used by the Muslims :—
(i) Kabarasthan, situated in ward No. 28 and managed by the Kabarasthan committee ;
(ii) Muslim Burial Ground, situated in ward No. 7 near Candanbai;
(iii) Muslim Burial Ground, situated in ward No. 12 near Garoba Maidan ;
(iv) Imambada Burial Ground, located in ward No. 6, near Bharat Oil Mills, just opposite to Isolation Hospital.

The cremation ground situated at Camarnala Ghat is managed and exclusively used by the Buddhist community.

There is one burial ground or cemetery located along the Medical College Road near Poor House which is used and managed by the Christians.

The Hindus maintain the following cremation places for their use:—

(i)	Gangabai Ghat	Ward No. 11.
(ii)	Gadang Ghat	Ward No. 4.
(iii)	Santinagar	Ward No. 22.
(iv)	Camarnala	Ward No. 24.
(v)	Ambazari which is situated onthe North Road.

In addition to these privately maintained cemeteries and cremation grounds the Corporation has reserved the following villages for cremation and burial of the dead:—

(i) Dighore, (ii) Pardi, (iii) Sakkardara, (iv) Bidapeth, (v) Watoda,
(vi) Manewada, (vii) Chikhali, (viii) Tajbagh, (ix) Old and New
Babulkheda, (x) Ajani, (xi) Chinchbhuwan.

Recreational Centres.—Recreational centres have come to attain an important place in the life of the people in the fast changing world of today, where people can take rest and relax after a day's hard work. The Nagpur Corporation has, accordingly, laid our some 20 gardens in suitable localities which are far removed from the buzz and din of industrial life and where only silence prevails. All these gardens are provided with cement benches where people can relax. Radio sets and loud-speakers have also been provided in a few, on which melodious tunes are played in the evenings.. Likewise every garden is having a children's corner where swings and other types of recreational facilities for children are provided. The gardens have been planted with giant trees and beautiful fragrant flower plants which give a look of grandeur. These trees and plants provide shade and fragrance which is spread around by the zephyr. Ambazari garden is one of the most noted gardens and is having a hanging bridge. All the gardens are provided with beautiful and lovely playing fountains which look charming when the light is on them. In all, four swimming pools are maintained by the Corporation and two more are under construction.

The Corporation maintains and runs a library at Sadar which provides different types of magazines, newspapers, novels and books on literature and other branches of learning. In the city there are a number of libraries which receive maintenance grants from the municipality. Many people take advantage of the library facilities. It also maintains a Hall where cultural programmes are arranged.

The Corporation has taken up the work of constructing a stadium for outdoor games at Citnavis Park and a grand Town-Hall. The former is estimated to cost five lakhs of rupees while the latter, one and a half lakhs. The stadium will have a seating capacity for 1.500 people. The Corporation is also constructing a number of buildings to house primary schools.' In addition to the isolation hospital building, maternity homes at Sadar and Santinagar have been constructed and maintained. They are equipped with all the modern facilities.

The Central Museum, which is maintained by the State Government, is the pride of Nagpur. The historical fort of Sitabuildi, where is stationed the 118 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army), is a prominent landmark in the history of Nagpur.

Objects.

Sitabuldi Fort.

Sitabuldi fort is undoubtedly the most distinguished object of interest in the city of Nagpur. The fort stands on the twin hills of Sitabuldi. Proudly does the tricolour, our national flag, fly over the main building taking a panoramic view of the whole city now surrounding the fort and the countryside for miles around. At night, specially when there is moon shining in the sky, the view from the bastion behind the officer's mess of 118 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) is bewitching enough to haunt one's memories for ever.

History always leans heavily on the grim side of life, the invasions, battles and destinies of people through the trials of their national strength. The battle of Sitabuldi which was fought between the Bhosles and the East India Company unfolds before our eyes a grim talc of destruction and massacre in which eventually the East India Company emerged triumphant. The decisive battle was fought in 1817, in which the Maratha forces, especially the Arab forces, fought valiantly which showed the resolute determination of our people to oust the British. But they had to yield to the superior command and the fire power of the British. All was lost to the Marathas because the hills, joined by a narrow saddle of ground about 274.32 metres (300 yards) in length of considerably lower elevation than either of the two hills, were of great strategic importance from where the town could be defended and governed and with the loss of the hills the Marathas also lost the town to the East India Company. But yet the determination with which the Maratha forces fought, made one British officer to exclaim: "Thank God the Arabs have agreed to move out and stop fighting. At last we are the Lords of Nagpur."

Two beautiful drawings depicting the decisive events from the battle of Sitabuldi can be seen in the Raj Bhavan. One shows the explosion of the tumbril on the Arab position on the smaller hill. The other drawing shows the gallant charge of Lt. Fitzgerald of the British forces." The Vidarbba Mahavidyalaya (Old Residency) also has a copy of each of these historic drawings. Very fine portraits of Mr. R. Jenkins, the Resident and Lt. Col. H. S. Scott, the military commander, are also hung in the Raj Bhavan.

It was after this battle and as a part of the agreement that British fortified the twin hills of Sitabuldi and the fort was built. Of the two hills the one to the north is lesser in height, where the lines of the 927 E. and M. company of engineers are located now, but is within musket range of the higher hill. Here are now located the main barracks and administrative building of the 118 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army). On this side, the suburbs of the city come close to its base. There is nothing aesthetic and artistic about the place, but is a strong and sturdily built structure, ideally suited for the purpose for which it was meant; that was to dominate the city of Nagpur.

There are two defensive areas, the larger area embracing both the hills and the smaller, which is much stronger, confined to the larger hill. The walls and ramparts are surrounded in suitable places by a moat and at other places, a sheer vertical cliff bars the way effectively. Further, some portions of the slopes of hills are strengthened by barbed wire* fencing. There is enough of built-up accommodation to house two hundred men and there is space available to pitch tents and accommodate nearly a thousand troops in times of emergency. The fort itself contained, as far as drinking water is concerned, large underground storage tanks and wells serving this purpose effectively.

The defence is built upon the old bastion system. No less than five dominating positions being very effectively built up in the inner fort and two more in the outer area. Each bastion has gun emplacement built on top and local protection to each gun is provided by three storeys of battle positions for the infantry. Even if the outer area is to be evacuated a band of five hundred determined men can easily withstand a siege until the arrival of reinforcements.

Right on top of the larger hill stands a monument built in memory of those who dedicated their lives in the battle of Sitabuldi. Just before the entrance of the tunnel leading to the inner fort one sees on the slopes of the hill to the right-hand side, the grave of Mr. Sotheby and some other ranks of the British forces. Facing the city to the east is another monument which marks the places from where King George V and Queen Mary gave audience to the people of Nagpur in 1911.

Tucked away between the eastern walls of the inner fort and the barracks is a large grave popularly known as Nav Gaz AH Baba. This is believed to be the grave of Navab Kadar Ali, grandson of Tipu Sultan of Mysore and his eight associates. They were hung from the ramparts of the fort by the British for the part they had played in the freedom struggle of 1857. They were all buried in a common pit nine yards long. The fort recalls to our mind the memory of those brave soldiers who fell with their faces to the foe in an attempt to preserve the independence of the mother country. Every year on 15th August and 26th January the fort is open to the public from where a beautiful view of the illuminated city gracefully opens to the vision.

Hedgevar Memorial.

This beautiful little building has been erected in memory of the late Hedgevar who was one of the important personalities of Nagpur. He was a staunch protagonist of the principles and ideals of Hindutva. but this is no indication that he was an antagonist of other religions and faiths. He was the principal pioneer in establishing the organisation known as Rastriya Svayamsevaka Sangha'. The building houses the Samadhi and a life-size statue of Hedgevar. In the centre of the hall lies the Samadhi and the letter " \ " has been artistically embossed upon it. The floor all round is paved with marble slabs of a superior quality specially brought from Rajasthan. Even the walls till half the way, are studded with marble slabs. In the same hall on a raised platform, which can be reached by climbing about five steps, is the majestic statue of Hedgevar. cast out in bronze, in a sitting position. The statue has been artistically shaped and looks life-like. It gives a glimpse of the high ideals and amiable nature of the departed man. He is held in high esteem by all the people of Nagpur. Around the memorial a beautiful garden has been laid out. It has been proposed to set up a school and other cultural and social centres on the open ground around. The plan is under study.

Gandhi Bag and Swimming Pool.

The garden is spread over an area of 2.85505 hectares (7.05 acres) enclosing within it a cultural hall and a swimming pool. This garden has been laid out and the pool has been constructed in commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi. Even, that part of the locality is known after the garden. The Gandhi Bag is one of the biggest gardens of the locality and has many green lawns which are divided by pathways running in between and encircled by avenues of lovely flower plants. At every cross-way creepers have been formed in the shape of arches which look like welcome arches erected at the time of sacred ceremonies. Here and there, in every corner of the garden well-groomed, handsome young trees have been grown which, besides giving shade to the people and keeping the surroundings cool, acid mirth to the beauty of the garden. Benches are provided for sitting purposes. There is also a children's corner wherein swings and all other means of entertainment for the children are provided. The lawn that is in the centre of the garden is a very big one where gatherings and meetings are held occasionally. Every evening hundreds of people flock to the garden. The municipality has arranged a radio set with speakers and in the evenings melodious tunes are played. A garden's beauty cannot be complete unless there is a playing fountain and the fountain erected here looks exceedingly beautiful.

The cultural hall is located in the southern sector of the garden and was built at a cost of one lakh of rupees. It was inaugurated on 23rd April, 1957 by late Shri M. S. Kannamwar, the then Health Minister of Maharastra State. Various cultural and social programmes of the town are arranged here.

Behind the cultural hall is the swimming pool which measures 32.0040 x 4.572 x 3.658 metres (105' x 15' x 12*). It was built at a cost of one and a half lakhs of rupees. The pool is of modern construction having lights underneath water. Around the pool three pillar-like structures having projections have been constructed which are used for diving in the water. Attached to the pool are bath-rooms, toilet, and other necessary facilities. In front of the pool are playing fountains which are fascinating and which make the pool all the more bewitching.

Telankhedi Udyan.

On the outskirts of the city at an undisturbed and quiet spot is situated the old garden called the Telankhedi Udyan. Being far removed from the hubbub of the town the place is ideal for picnics and excursions. In this garden there arc avenues of giant trees and wild bamboos which give deep shade and also avenues of flower-plants whose fragrance spreads all around with the blowing breeze. In between the avenues of trees and flower plants is a lovely small tank of water, with stone revetments having steps on all the sides leading down to the water level. The tank has increased the fascination of the garden many more times. To the west of the garden there are hillocks which have formed valley glades and there is a thick growth of forest trees. The valley glades enclose within a very big and indescribably enchanting lake whose beauty is all the more heightened by the natural surroundings. The eastern embankment of the lake has been revetted with stones. The waters of the lake are clear and still at first sight it seems as if a mirror has been spread on the ground in which the surrounding trees and mountains are beautifully reflected. It is known as Telankhedi lake and the garden has derived its name from this lake. The lake is very ideal for swimming and being the most quiet spot near-about the town, people go on excursions and trips on holidays and festive occasions and enjoy themselves. Special buses ply on such days.

Gita Mandir.

Almost in the heart of Nagpur on the Subhas Road is situated the temple, popularly known as Gita Mandir. It was built by the late Svami Vidyanandaji Maharaj who by his erudition and inspiring personality was popular amongst the people. He called upon the people to contribute liberally for the construction of the temple, who responded to his call. The opening ceremony was performed by the then Speaker of the Lok Sabha late Sri Mavlankar, amidst great rejoicings, on 7th May, 1954. The temple is representative of the magnificent sculptural and architectural skill of the modern architects. The temple covers an area of 1.13 acres which was donated by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation.

The Gabhara measures 20.903 m2 (15' x l5'), the idol of Sri Krsna in marble occupying the central position. The Gabhara has a Sikhar on the top. The Sikhar serves as a flag-post for the saffron-coloured flag. The main hall of the temple is 38.10 x 16.76 metres (125' x 50') at the end of which is a statue of Svami Vidyanandaji Maharaj. The front of the temple is round shaped, on three sides of which is an open gallery. Besides the temple building, there are rooms which are used by mendicants and Sadhus. Down the roadside opens the main entrance gate on the southern side on either side of which there are rows of shops and on the same side another gate opens through which cars can enter the temple courtyard. The Sabhamandir is lent on hire for religious and social ceremonies on certain pre-conditions. The temple has a monthly income of Rs.1,300 which is derived out of shops rented in the compound.

The temple is managed by a trust. From time to time discourses on Bhagvadgita are held to propagate its ideals and principles amongst the masses, as also Bhajans, Kirtans, etc. Important festivals like Gita Jayanii, Janmastami, Ram Navmi, etc., are celebrated amidst great rejoicings when people gather in large numbers to offer their prayers to Lord Krsna. The temple is worth a visit.

Within the Mandir compound the Trust runs an Ayurvedic dispensary which provides free medical aid to the needy.

Maharaj Bag.

This is perhaps the oldest garden in Nagpur and is situated on Nagpur-Amravati Road, near the Nagpur University. The garden, it is believed, was laid out by the Bhosle rulers and the grand old trees with their massive trunks speak of the long years-of their existence and consequently of the antiquity of the Bag. The garden which was neglected for sometime has been renovated now and turned into an alluring and pleasant recreational centre. There is a small hut lovely artificial tank in the centre of which is seated an elephant artistically carved out of black rock. It is laid out on the same pattern as other gardens, having beautiful flower plants planted in gaiety, hanging creepers, lovely soft green lawns, children's corner, playing fountains, which look charming but unlike other gardens it houses a zoo which is an added attraction to the people. The zoo has a rare collection of species of animals and birds like lions and tigers, different types of apes, monkeys, deers, spotted antelopes and bears, birds like peacocks and serpents like pythons and cobras. In the extreme end of the garden is the building of the Agricultural College which by its appearance gives an ancient look to the garden. The experimental farms of the College are situated close by. There is also an agricultural laboratory where experiments on the development of improved seeds and such other related problems are carried out. There is also a nursery garden where different varieties of plants are grown and sold. The Maharaj Bag can definitely be regarded as one of the most beautiful spots of recreation. It is looked after by the Superintendent of Parks and Gardens, Government of Maharastra.

Statue of Maharani Laxmibai of Jhansi.

The statue of the Queen of Jhansi stands in front of the buildings of Vidarbha Sahitya Sangha and Mor Bhavan. The Maharani is seated on a horse which is shown to be in a galloping position. The statue, cast out of bronze, is 15' in height and looks majestic. It was erected at a total cost of Rs. 45,000. It was unveiled on 11th November 1962.

Statue of Sankar.

Sankar, a young patriot who had participated in the 1942 Quit-India Movement was arrested and sent to gaol and later hanged in 1943. The statue, in the Navabpura Zenda Chowk, at Nagpur, is erected In commemoration of tins great son of India who sacrificed his life for his mother land. The statue is life-size and was erected at a cost of Rs. 14,000. It was unveiled on 13th February, 1962 by Pandit Javaharlal Nehru, the late Prime Minister of India.

Central Museum.

Nagpur city has a museum situated in civil lines which is regarded as the only one of its kind in the Vidarbha Region. It was established in 1863 A.D. It is maintained by the Government of Maharastra, the controlling officer being the Director of Education, Poona.

The collections of the museum are divided into six sections, viz., (1) Art and industry, (2) Archaeology, (3), Anthropology, (4) Paintings, (5) Geology and (6) Natural History.

Art and Industry.—The central hall is devoted to the art and industry section. At the main entrance which leads into the art section is seen a model in plaster " Return from the Field." The arts and crafts exhibited in this section include specimens of plain and engraved metal-ware from Banaras, Sialkot, Muradabad, Nasik, Tanjore, Bidar, Canda, Bhandara, Mandla, Damoh and many other parts of the country which speak eloquently of the sculptural as well as aesthetic sense of the sculptors. There are < samples of horn and ivory work from Ratnagiri, Katak and Mysore-, lacquer work from Jaipur and Sind, inlaid stone work from Agra, soapstone figures from Puri, gold thread saris from Burhan-pur, wood carvings from Bombay,. Saharanpur and Nagpur; ornamental pottery from Uttar Prades, schools of Art at Bombay ' and Madras and wooden models of fruit and vegetables from Belganv which compel the curiosity of the visitor to have a close look at them. A silver model of Cakra is worthy of attention as also a group of Hindu deities of clay, locally made. There is a set of illustrated manuscripts from the Bhosle collection. There is also an attractive and enchanting set of decorative pottery from England, Venice, China and Japan and some cottage industry products from Japan.

Archaeology.—The west wing with four rooms is devoted to the archaeological collections, anthropology and picture gallery The archaeological collections are further divided into five classes, (1) pre-historic, (2) sculptures and bronzes, (3) coins, (4) inscriptions and (5) miscellaneous articles.

In the pre-historic gallery are shown stone age and copper age antiquities found in the region and the Balaghat district of Madhya Prades. Also exhibited are the numerous antiquities of the Chalcolithic age discovered at Mohenjodaro in Sind and Harappa in the Punjab. These are supplemented by the paleolithic, neolithic, copper age and bronze age antiquities from Europe.

The sculpture gallery is one of the main attractions of the Museum and the collection ranges from circa 100 A.D. to 1600 A.D. It is grouped under three heads, viz., Hindu, Jain and Buddhist. The Scythian sculptures exhibited in the porch are assignable to the 1st century A.D. Care has been taken to exhibit them region-wise. Some of the noteworthy Hindu sculptures are Varaha, Kurma, Brahma, Camunda. Indra, Siva, Laksminarayan, Garuda, Candra and Visnu. Notable among the Jain sculptures are Mahavira and Suparsva. In addition there are interesting images of Sumantinath Ambika, Sarasvati, and Yaksadampati. The Buddhist sculpture includes an image of Buddha, Bodhisatva and Tara images belonging to 11th and 12th centuries A.D. There is also a small collection of Buddhist bronzes from Negapatam.

The coin collection of the museum is fairly representative and is kept in a cabin. The cabin contains punch-marked coins of the Satvahanas, Guptas, Nalas, Sarabhapuryas, Kalacuris of Cedi, and Daksinakosalas, Paramaras, Calukyas, Yadavas, the Sultans of Delhi and their contemporaries including the Gonds of Devgad. In the gallery, again are displayed electroplated metal and plaster casts of selected types of Ancient, Mediaeval and Muslim coins.

The inscription gallery exhibits copper plates and stone inscriptions ranging from circa 3rd century B.C. to the 17th century A.D. Among the stone inscriptions notable are the Devtak inscription of Asoka and Rudrasena I kept in the porch, Karitalai and Bilhari inscriptions of Cecil rulers. Sitabuldi stone inscription of the time of Vikramaditya VI, Nagpur inscription of the rulers of Malva and Persian inscription from the remains of a Moghal bath at Burhanpur. The collection of copper plates includes the charters of the Vakatakas, the Sarabhapuriyas, the Parivrajakas, the Soraavansis, the Rastrakutas, the Kalacuris, the Parmaras and Candelas.

The miscellaneous exhibits contain, what deserves a special mention, an interesting Babylonian seal dating as far back as 200 B.C. It is kept in a cabin. In this section are also displayed a few landscape paintings and photo enlargements of national monuments and those of the Vidarbha region.

Anthropology.—The anthropological section displays a large collection of ancient weapons of warfare. It also includes garments and clothes, headgears and footwears, ornaments, musical instruments of various types, household articles and agricultural and hunting implements. The material culture has been supplemented with coloured photographs depicting dances and other scenes which give a picture of the tribal life. There are elaborately carved memorial sculptures which depict bunting and battle scenes. Weapons of offence and defence are to be seen. Unique among them may be mentioned the signal staves which were taken at the relief of Lucknow. A series of clay models illustrating the Samskdras of a Maharastra Brahman deserve attention.

Paintings.—-The picture gallery which has been recently started contains mostly modern Indian paintings which may be conveniently grouped under three heads, viz., portraits, compositions and landscapes. It contains the paintings of some of the the greatest modern Indian painters. The collection of old Indian paintings though small, is representative of the principal styles of painting. Speciments of Moghal, Rajasthani Kangra, and Deccani styles of paintings are to be found. There is an old portrait of Mahadaji Sinde said to have been drawn by an Italian artist. There are two Nepali and Bhutani banners.

Geology.-—The exhibits in the geological section have been divided into four groups: (1) type rocks,. (2) type minerals, (3) minerals of economic importance and (4) fossils.

The type rocks have been grouped as igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. The type mineral series is arranged acid-wise and base-wise. Samples of minerals of economic importance comprise ores of manganese, iron and copper, coal bauxite, wolfram, limestone clay, ochres, graphite, mica, asbestos, galena, salts, agates and jaspers. The fossil collection comprises specimens of plant, invertebrate and vertebrate fossils.

Natural History.—This section of the Museum holds (1) bird gallery, (2) reptiles, fishes and invertebrate gallery and (3) mammal gallery.In the first gallery are two habitat groups of saras and peacock. C The rest of the gallery is devoted to the display of birds of over 200 species. The galaxy of stuffed birds is so very real as to deceive the eye even of a connoisseur.

In the reptile, fish and invertebrate gallery, there is a habitat group of Indian crocodiles. Also shown are gaeko, blood-sucking and monitor lizards, chameleons, pythons and other various types of poisonous and non-poisonous snakes. In the fish collection there are fresh water fishes like bam, singhara, nila, mahasir, maral, phulmarala and pohu. There are a few marine fishes from Madras. The Amphibian fauna includes species of frog and toad. The invertebrate gallery displays a variety of marine shells and the insects are shown in a series of show-cases with their life cycles in some cases.

In the third gallery are preserved large and small mammals which include blue-bull, sambar, black-buck, barasinga, spotted antelope (cirikara), barking deer, four-horned antelope, mouse-deer and bison. In the camivora are included, sloth-bear, tiger, leopard, wild-cats, hyaena, wolf, jackal, fox and wild dog. A big showcase displays a collection of large mammals against a suitable background colour scheme. Among the small mammals are porcupine, hare, flying and other squirrels, bats, civets, mongoose, otter, ratel and pangolin. But the main attraction of this gallery lies in a series of "habitat groups of Indian tiger, leopard and cittal. Some of the well-known Aesop's fables illustrated with the use of taxidermical preparations arc an added attraction.

The museum is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5-30 p.m. on all days of the week except Monday and National Holidays. About 1,000 visitors visit the museum every day. There is a small library attached to the museum. Bona fide research students are permitted to make use of it and every possible help is rendered to them by the authorities in charge.

Medical College and Hospital.

The construction work of the college and hospital was started in 1948 and was completed in 1953. The buildings are constructed in modern style. The college and the hospital are equipped with all the necessary and up-to-date facilities for training the students as well as treating the patients. The institutions were inaugurated by the late Dr. Rajendra Prasad. the then President of the Indian Union, on 27th March 1953.

The buildings in which the college and the hospital are housed occupy an area measuring 7,803 m2 (84,000 square feet) and were built at a cost of over 42 lakhs of rupees. The hospital has a special physiological department. Besides, there are other connected laboratories where Anatomical, Histological, Embryo-logical, Physiological, Biochemical, Pathological, Bacteriological and Pharmacological research is conducted. There is a very big library containing a collection of over 10,000 books on medical science. In addition to this the library purchases about 150 informative pamphlets and magazines on modern developments in medicine every year. On the third floor of the college there is a spacious auditorium where facilities to enact dramas and other programmes are provided. In this hall,, lectures of distinguished physicians and surgeons are arranged for the benefit of the students. College gatherings and meeting are held here.

Nearby the college in the same compound is the hospital where patients both indoor and outdoor arc treated. The hospital has about 864 beds and it has been proposed to further increase the number of beds. Here all types of patients are given treatment. There are separate departments, viz., gynaecological and obstetrics, ophthalmic, ear, nose and throat, dentistry, medical, surgical and tuberculosis. For outdoor patients there are separate X-ray, screening and clinical pathology departments, besides those belonging to the main hospital. For cancer treatment the hospital has acquired the most modern equipment and machinery. Every day over a thousand outdoor patients are treated free of charge. The college students are given practical training in this hospital.

Every year over 120 new students are admitted. The total strength of the college was more than 674 in the year 1959. From time to time foreign as well as indigenous experts in medical science and surgery are invited to address the students on the various complicated present-day problems in medical science and surgery. In addition, a Nurses' Training Centre has been opened where about a hundred nurses are given training.

The medical college has its own hostel for the students. It has its own playground and a fine garden.

Mayo Hospital.

The hospital was established in 1867. At present it provides over 285 beds. The Mayo Hospital has its own Blood Bank. It has started a diploma course in Rural Medical Practice as also a Nurses' Training Centre.

Mental Hospital.

This is situated on Chindvada Road and is the oldest hospital treating mental patients. The hospital covers an area of about 215 acres. It is provided with the most modern equipment like electric convulsion, insulin-coma, occupational and reactional therapy and the like for treating mental cases. Students of the medical college are sent here for training in psychiatry.

Government T. B. Clinic.

This T. B. Clinic was established in 1937. The purpose of the clinic is to admit the already examined patients in the T. B. Sanatorium and other hospitals, for better treatment. There are about 60 beds in this clinic and is having all the necessary equipment to treat the patients suffering from tuberculosis. The hospital owns a van.

Sir Kasturcand Daga Memorial Hospital.

The hospital is situated near Gandhi Bag on Pancpavli Road. It admits only female patients and children for treatment. It accommodates 130 beds. The hospital has a child welfare and a family planning centre. There is also a nursing and midwifery training school attached to the hospital. This hospital treats about 700 indoor and 10,000 outdoor patients annually.It was founded in 1896 and is situated at Sitabuldi. Till 1952, it was meant only for women and children, when a general ward for men with 30 beds was introduced. The hospital runs a Nurses' Training School. At a distance of ten miles from the city the hospital, has its dispensary where nurses from the training school arc sent for practical training.

This maternity home was established in 1921 and is situated on North Ambazari Road(Other noteworthy hospitals are :—
(1) Dr. Dalvi Memorial Hospital, Bagadganj-2.
(2) Sri Pakvasa Samanvaya Rugnalaya, Mahal-1.
(3) Vaccine and Public Health Institute, South Ambazari Road-3.
(4) Sri Netra Sudhar Sangh Cikitsalaya, Pacerivala Asram, Dhantoli,
(5) Indian Red Cross Society, Nagpur Branch.). Today it is having about 19 branches all over Vidarbha Region and some towns of Madhya Prades with its headquarters at Nagpur proper.

Council Hall.

Of the premier buildings in Nagpur city is the council hall. The building assumes importance from the fact that not only today but even in the past during the British regime, the council hall was the place where important decisions affecting the lives of millions of people were taken. It is a two-storeyed structure built in red bricks, in about 1912-13. The building presents a majestic and palatial frontage with the surroundings partially dense with tree growth of various species. It has a closed balcony in the front as well as in the rear and the ample ventilation provided on all sides, keeps the atmosphere in the building extremely cool. It has a small terrace on top of the porch entrance. The building could be viewed in three parts, the middle portion which has a sloping roof on both the sides and the sides to the left and to the right, respectively. These sides have a conical shaped roof, with the tops of the roofs in line with each other. The halls and rooms inside are spacious and so clean and tidy as to present a picture of a recent construction. The building has a considerable compound. The entrances to the building are well built in tar and possess excellent greenery on both the sides throughout the year.

Reserve Bank of India.

One of the indications of the tremendous industrial and commercial advance the city of Nagpur has made, is reflected in the huge building where the Reserve Bank of India, Nagpur is housed. It is centrally situated at the corner of the Kasturcand Park on the Raghavendrarav Road. It is built in sand-stone and represents one of the finest specimens of modern art of building and construction. The bank building was inaugurated on December 10. 1956. The building cost the Government a sum of Rs. 75 lakhs. It is completely air-conditioned. It is semi-circular in shape. The entrance to the building is through an imposing gateway with two side constructions forming part of the main building but slightly protruding. The entrance has two pillars covering the whole height of the building. The building: has a stonewalled compound with pipe fencing covering the half of it. The compound has an excellent lawn. The porch has a room on top covered by an open terrace.

The Laksmi Narayan Institute of Technology.

The building of the institute of technology receives its name from Rai Bahadur Laksrm Narayan who donated a sum of Rs. 38 lakhs to the Nagpur University. The University decided to establish an institute for imparting Chemical and Technological instructions from the funds donated by Sri Laksmt Narayan. The institute came into existence in August, 1942. The institute has a huge building on a hill-side situated on Nagpur-Amravati Road. It is a coloured structure tending to be semi-circular in shape. It has a porch that forms the entrance overlooked by circular pillared frontage. It has two wings one to the right and the other to the left and is beautifully terraced. It has an excellent clock tower which could he distinguished from miles foundabout. Immediately in front of the porch is the foundation slightly squarish in structure and has the life-size statue of the donor planted on it. The compound has a beautiful lawn. On all sides of the building in a space of about 2' in between the foundation and the premises,) is planted excellent shrubbery. The structure is pure stone and concrete. The open horizon serves as a beautiful rear background.

Sri Poddaresvar Ram Mandir.

The Ram Mandir is situated near the Nagpur railway station on the Mayo Hospital road. The Mandir is an excellent piece of architectural design and sculptural beauty. On entering the inner room, facing the north, are three beautiful idols of Ram, Laksman and Sita. To the right of the Ram Mandir and facing east is the Siv Mandir. The Siv Mandir contains an idol of God Siv of considerable size. In addition, there are idols of Bhagvan Kartikeya, Ganes, Sesnag and Devi Parvati. In the south-east corner is the temple of Hanuman. In the temple are six cavities in which arc placed the idols of Hanuman, Garad, Gayatri, Ganga and other deities. The foundation of Poddaresvar Mandir was laid in the month of Sravan Sukla 15 Samvat, 1976. The temple cost about 5 lakhs of rupees. The novelty and the grace of the temple lies in the depiction of various episodes in the lives of Ram and Siv on the silver entrance of the temple. The pinnacle which is made of white stone slabs and the main door of the temple which has copper casting about the wooden frame are a sight to watch and extremely enchanting. The sabhamandap is octagonal in shape and is supported by eight stone pillars with designs of the idols of Ram carved on it. The latticed ceiling of the sabhamandap is also carved in stone >.and possesses excellent designs. The floor of the Sabhamandap is also paved with marble stones and is extremely smooth. In the temple of Ram the marble surface has beautiful multi-coloured designs depicting shrubs and flowers which add to the splendour of the temple. In the month of Sravan from 3rd to 15th, celebrations are held when the temple is decorated to suit the occasion. On the following days, viz., Sarad Paurnima, Ram Navami. Mahasiv-ratra, Janmastami, etc., great celebrations are held when thousands of devotees gather to pay homage to the revered Gods. In the temple premises are located a library, a reading-room and a dharma sala. The temple is looked after by a trust committee.

Ambazari Lake and Garden.

The Ambazari lake and gardens, four miles west of Nagpur is one of the most beautiful and interesting sites of Nagpur. It is probably the main object of interest to the tourists and the city populace who find in it a nice resort on Sundays and holidays.

The lake, oldest of its type in Nagpur, was built in the days of the Bhosle rule. It is almost a natural reservoir formed in the basin of the Nag river. During the time of the British rule, the lake was improved so as to supply water to the city on the principle of siphon. Ever since then the lake was maintained and improved considerably to ensure supply of potable water to the city by municipal authorities. At present water is sucked by means of a pumping set.

The catchment area of the lake extends over 17.094 km2 (6.6 square miles) and has a storage capacity of 1837 lakh gallons of water. The bund wall is 960.12 metres (3,150 feet) long and 98.755 metres (324 feet) high. The Nagpur Corporation has prepared a scheme for establishing a nitration plant to ensure filtered water-supply throughout the year. The level in the lake goes down considerably in the summer and causes shortage of water in April, May and June.

The Ambazari garden, to the north of the lake, gives a panoramic and picturesque view of the lake. A variety of beautiful, charming and fragrant flower plants are planted in gaiety. The soft green lawns in the midst of rows of flower plants give an impress of profound beauty and richness of nature's colours. The luxuriant rows of pink, yellow and white roses, and avenues of multi-coloured plants on the bank of the lake have enriched the aesthetic charm of the spot. The bowers with well-knit young creepers please the eye. The tiny hanging causeways deliberately designed over the streams passing by have contributed to the grandeur of the spot. A stroll in a moon-lit night across the garden takes one to the realms of enchanting beauty.

The Municipal Corporation has maintained a rest-house which is fully furnished with modern equipment. The rest-house is available to the tourists and official guests of the Corporation. Arrangements for passenger traffic by city bus services are made on Sundays and holidays.

Sukravar Tank.

It is a beautiful tank located in the heart of Nagpur city with embankment all round and shaded by thick palm trees. A long-range view of the lake is a beautiful sight spread over furlongs together and creating visions undreamt of. The Nagpur Corporation has devised numerous schemes to beautify the spot and make it a place of beauty worth a visit. The schemes are all under way. The lake is now cleared of all its dirty remnants. There is an encroachment in the lake from the southern side forming itself into a three-sided island. It has been broadened and a pathway connecting it with the northernmost part of the lake has been constructed which has compartmentalised the lake. The island is now about 60.96 metres (200 feet) broad. Lining the road as well as on all sides of the island are fixed automatic light poles. To afford safety to the sight-seeing public as well as to the pedestrian, traffic railings have been fixed on all the sides of the island. The beauty of the island is enhanced by the creation of an eye-filling garden which occupies an area of about 64 acres of land. The garden has a fountain and is equipped with all the paraphernalia that makes it an enchanting children's park. The Corporation has spent about a lakh and sixty-three thousand rupees in implementing these schemes and the old lake is now converted into a place of an exquisite breath-taking beauty. The period of the construction of this lake dates about 255 years back when Nagpur was under the overlordship of king Sultan Cand originally of Gond dynasty. Formerly the lake had stone embankment on two sides only. The Corporation completed the work of constructing embankment all round the lake.

Tajabad Sarif

The tomb of Baba Tajuddin Tajul Avaliya situated in the Sakkardara locality in the south-east part of Nagpur city is popularly known as Tajabad Sarif. Baba. Tajuddin, though a Muslim, was regarded in high esteem by Hindus and Muslims and by the rich and the poor alike and his fame as a spiritual guide was not limited to Nagpur only but had spread all over the country. The tomb is constructed in the traditional Muhammedan style and is spacious. It has a wooden fencing. It is squarish in shape and has arches all round numbering about 20 and 5 on each side. It is supported on four giant pillars on the four sides, which are crowned by minarets. In addition to these four minarets of medium size there are four smaller ones on each side making a total of sixteen. In the centre is a big round-shaped dome. The dome is raised on a structure of the height of smaller minarets and has carvings all round. A trust committee looks after the management of Tajabad Sarif. Every year an urus is held when the devotees of Baba Tajuddin gather in considerable number.

NAGPUR TAHSIL.

Description.

Nagpur Tahsll: The Nagpur tahsil forms the central and southwestern portion of the district, lying between 20° 46' and 21° 23' N. and 78° 44' and 79° 19' E. It is bounded on the north by the river Kolar as far as its junction with the Kanhan above Kamptee, and thence by the Kanhan itself, separating it from Ramtek. South and east lies Umrer, the Wunna river marking the border for about 15 miles, while to the south-west the tahsil adjoins the Wardha district, and to the west, Katol and north-west, Saoner. The tahsil may be divided into three marked geographical tracts, the Kauras plateau, the Wunna valley, and the Nagpur-Kamptee plain. The first tract, which differs considerably in its natural features from every other part of the tahsil, is the plateau of Kauras, a continuation of the uplands of Katol, which round off in this tahsil and form an extensive and fairly well-cultivated tract of highland. The Wunna valley, the second tract, comprises the central and southern portions of the tahsil, traversed by the Bomhay-Nagpur-Howrah railway line. The surface is generally undulating, and is broken by a few low hills. The third tract comprises the whole of the level plain lying to the south and east of Nagpur, drained by the Nag river and its tributaries. The third of these areas is the most fertile and contains the best wheat cultivation; in the second there is also wheat but to a far less extent, and there is abundance of jovar and a fair amount of cotton. The first tract has very little wheat indeed and the poor lands are chiefly cultivated with jovar, tur and cotton.

Population.

The population of the tahsil was 2,68,479 in 1881, 2,94,262 in 1891, and 2,96,117 in 1901, showing increments during the two census periods of 9.6 and 0.63 per cent. In 1951 the population was 6,46,090 and is shot up to 8,28,455 in 1961. The towns of the tahsil are Nagpur (population 6,43,659), Kamptee (population 40,859) and Kamptee Cantonment (population 5,784), The tahsil has seven large villages with a population of over 2,000 and fourteen with a population of between 1,000 and 2,000. Excluding Nagpur and Kamptee and their dependencies the tahsil is comprised of 445 revenue villages.

Agriculture.

The soils of Nagpur tahsil are distinctly above the district average. Of its total area of 1,93,856.895 hectares (4,78,659 acres), the net area sown is 1,17,334.658 hectares (2,89,940 acres). Area sown more than once is 839.970 hectares (2,074 acres) bringing the gross cropped area to 1,18,173.978 hectares (2,92,014 acres).

Miscellaneous.

The railway stations of Borkhedi, Buti Bori, Gumganv, Khari, Ajani, Nagpur, Itvari and Kamptee are on the Bombay-Nagpui, Howrah line within the tahsil. On Delhi-Nagpur-Madras route Bharatvada is the only station in the tahsil, on Nagpur-Chindvada line Koradi, and on Nagpur-Nagbhir those of Bhandevadi and Dighori. While Nagpur is a Corporation, Kamptee is a municipality. In addition to this there is the Kamptee Cantonment. Police station-houses are situated at Kamptee, Nagpur, Vyahad, Soneganv, Hingna, and Bori. There are Post-offices at Nagpur, Kamptee, Soneganv, Bazarganv, Hingna, Gumganv, Bori and Kanholi.

NARKHED.

Narkhed: (T. Katol, 21°25' N. and 78°30' E). An important agricultural town and cotton-growing centre situated in the north-west corner of the Katol tahsil, 86.886 km. (54 miles) from Nagpur and 24.140 km. (15 miles) from Katol. It is on the Madras-Delhi railway line. The municipality was founded in 1948. It has a population of 10,442 according to 1961 Census as against 9,349 in 1951. The majority of the people are Telis who are chiefly engaged in growing and trading in cotton. Their principal market used to be Amravati but in recent years they trade more extensively with Katol and Nagpur. The town lies about 4.827 km. (three miles) to the south of Chindvada hill, in flat and fertile country and is surrounded by rich garden cultivation. The orange produce of Narkhed is well-known and the town has the biggest orange market only next to that of Nagpur. The old betel-leaf gardens have made way to orange gardens. The town had a large population of weavers and dyers but as the industry is gradually declining the people who were engaged in the dyeing business are finding employment elsewhere.The town is the headquarters of Revenue Inspector, Narkhed Circle and that of the Pancayat Samiti. New quarters for Block Development Officers and Extension Officers have been built here. The town has a regional middle school, primary schools, an Urdu school, two high schools, a police station, a primary health centre and a post and telegraph office. The state government has built an extensive godown for storing foodgrains.

The town has fairly good communications. It is linked by roads to Katol, Savarganv and Movad on which State Transport buses ply regularly.

In 1955, on the occasion of Nehru Jayanti a small park was inaugurated and is exclusively meant for the entertainment of the children. In the same year the Block Development Board opened a recreation centre and has provided a radio with speaker. Half the cost of the radio was borne by the town-people voluntarily.

There is a hillock called Konhabardi Hill at the top of which there is a temple and a privately owned rest-house. On the occasion of the death anniversary of Sri Tukaram Maharaj, the noted saint of Maharastra, a fair is held here.

There is a tank called Rsi Talav which is 92,903 m2 (1,000' x 1,000'} and where lotus flowers grow in plenty. On the bank are spread many small temples where Sadhus reside. The giant trees around provide a good background.

The town is said to have been founded by the Manas, then a warlike caste, who made plundering expeditions into Berar and repelled Pendharis at every encounter. Some ornaments and coins largely of the Moghal period, were unearthed in the old fort and are supposed to have been their plunder. Now very few people of Pendhari origin could be found in Narkhed. They have taken to agriculture.

Muncipality.

Constitution.—The Narkhed municipality was constituted in the year 1948 under the Central Provinces and Berar Municipalities Act, 1922. It covers an area of 7.77 km2 (3 square miles) and according to 1961 Census has a population of 10,442. A total of 16 councillors both elected and nominated constitute the municipal committee. Of these 16 councillors, 4 are nominated. The president is chosen by the councillors themselves and the vice-president is either nominated or elected. He holds the office of the president during latter's absence from the office.

Income and Expenditure.—In 1961-62 the income of the municipality, excluding that under extraordinary and debt heads, came to Rs. 1,10,804.00. The income heads were: municipal rates and taxes Rs. 37,979.00; municipal property and powers apart from taxation Rs. 29,235.00; grants and contributions for special and general purposes Rs. 42,369.00 and miscellaneous Rs. 1,229.00.During the same year the expenditure incurred came to Rs. 98,026.00. It comprised general administration and collection charges Rs. 13,832.00; public safety Rs. 9,602.00; public health and convenience Rs. 33,076.00; public instruction Rs. 34,436,00; and miscellaneous Rs. 7,080.00.

Administrative Organisation.—The president is the administrative head. No separate independent departments have been created.

Cremation and Burial Grounds.—The communities concerned maintain the cremation and burial grounds.

Water-supply.—The town has no special water-supply scheme. Wells,, private and public, and the adjoining river form the source of water from where the people draw their requirements. However, no scarcity of water is felt.

Health.—The state government runs one health centre in the town in which the civil dispensary is also accommodated. Here poor people receive free treatment.

Drainage.—The town has open surface drains and they are stone-lined in ,the main squares and kutcha at other places. However, arrangements are made to collect the waste in cess-pools and to remove it later on. Besides the private latrines, the municipality has provided the town with nine sets of public latrines.

Roads.—The town has no asphalted roads. All roads are kutcha and their length is only 3.219 kms, (two miles). In 1961-62 the municipality spent a sum of Rs. 1,326.35 on their repairs.

PANDHARABODI.

Pandharabodi.—Formerly it was a deserted village. Now the Government has built a big irrigation tank at a cost of Rs. 37.05 lakhs. The area submerged by the construction is 1,161.25 acres. The tank would irrigate a total of 1,272 acres of land. The village is being populated gradually.

PARADSINGA.

Paradsinga.—A big village in Katol tahsil with many wells and a large number of orange and other fruit gardens, inhabited chiefly by Malts. Katol is the principal market for its orange produce. It is situated in the Jam valley 9.659 km. (six miles) west of Katol and is 67.592 km. (42 miles) from Nagpur. Its population is 3,373 as per 1961 Census as against 3,263 in 1951. This shows a gradual increase in the population trend. The village is administered by the Grampancayat. It has a weekly bazar held on every Wednesday at which large quantities of turmeric, oranges and sugarcane are sold among others. It has also a separate orange market. Since 1962 spraying of orange gardens with insecticides to protect the crops from harmful insects is carried out through the Grampancayat. Bunding on a large scale is done by the Soil Conservation Department to increase the fertility of the land. The village has a high school, a primary school and a basic training school run by the Zilla Parisad. The village is connected by the Katol-Jalalkheda motorable road on which buses ply regularly.

PARSEVNI.

Parsevni. A large village in the Ramtek tahsil about 27.358 km. (17 miles) north of Nagpur and 3.219 km. (two miles] west of the Penc river, has a population of 3,877 as per 1961 Census. It contains three tanks and more than 32.374 hectares (80 acres) arc under betel-vine gardens. There is a trading quarter in the village and some money-lenders reside here. The village has a Government senior basic middle school and English middle school and a primary school for girls. The Sarvodaya High School is managed by Bharat Sevak Samaj.

The village has a police station,, two dispensaries, viz., civil and veterinary, and another only to treat the lepers. It has a Block Development Office. Some manganese mines are worked in the vicinity. The Bhivagad hill fort is at a distance of 8.047 km. (five miles) from the village and lies in a dilapidated condition.

PATANSAVANGI.

Patansavangi is a large village in Saoner tahsil 24.14 km. (fifteen miles) north-west of Nagpur on the Nagpur-Chindvada road. It has flourished near the confluence of the rivers Kolar and Candrabhaga. In the village there are the ruins of an antique fort. In 1742 a battle was fought here between the Gond usurper Vali Sah and the legitimate queen, the widow of Cand Sultan, in which 12,000 persons were killed. There is a considerable handloom weaving industry and the village population comprise a large number of Rangaris or dyers. The village has a middle school.

RAMTEK TAHSIL.

Description.

Ramtek Tahsil (21° 5' and 21° 44' N and 78° 55' and 79° 35' E, p. 1,71,995). The Ramtek tahsil occupies the northern and northeastern portions of the Nagpur district, from the rest of which it is separated by the Kanhan and its tributary the Kolar. It is bounded on the north by the Chindvada and Seoni districts, on the east by the Bhandara district, on the west by the Saoner tahsil and the Chindvada district, and on the south by the Umred tahsil. It covers an area of 1,323.23 km2, a considerable part of which is under Government forest, constituting the east and west Penc reserves. The tahsil is naturally divided into the northern country bordering the Satpudas, which is intersected by hills and jungles, and the southern country between the hills and the Kanhan, which is flat and open. But an almost equally important division is made of east and west, the natural boundary being the river Penc, which flowing directly southwards from the Chindvada district, joins the Kanhan at Bina of the Ramtek tahsil, and Vareganv of the Nagpur tahsil. It, thus, completely cuts the Ramtek tahsil into two portions. To the east of the Penc, lie the Ramtek town and Dongartal and Tharsa villages being the larger area, while to the west are situated the Bhivagad and Patansavangi villages. To the east of the Penc the principal crops are wheat and rice and to the west jovar and cotton. The tahsil includes the two poorest' tracts in the district, but the southern portion on both sides of the Penc is closely cultivated, and is only second to the Wardha valley in fertility. The population of the tahsil has increased to 1,75,153 in 1961 from 1,58,271 in 1951.

Agriculture.

As regards composition of soils, Ramtek is inferior to the Nagpur and Umred tahsils, and only slightly superior to the Katol tahsil, but the wheat fields of the Penc valley are the best in the district. The total geographical area of the tahsil is 4,27,297 acres (1,73,055.285 hectares). The net area sown is 2,56,592 acres (1,04,919.760 hectares) of which 5,259 acres (2,129.895 hectares) is cropped more than once. Hence the gross area cropped comes to 2,61,851 acres (106,049.655 hectares).

Land Revenue.

The number of villages in the tahsil is 406. The land revenue derived from the total cultivated area is Rs, 4,67,629.

Miscellaneous.

The means of transport and communications of the tahsil are quite good. The Nagpur-Jubbulpore national highway runs east from corner to corner of the tahsil. The Bombay-Nagpur-Calcutta national highway also passes through the tahsil. The Bombay-Nagpur-Howrah railway line cuts across the south-eastern corner and has stations at Kanhan, Salva, Cacer, Tharsa, Revarala and Khat. The Nagpur-Ramtek rail line links Ramtek with the Bombay-Nagpur-Howrah main line. Besides this rail link, the manganese mines worked in the tahsil are connected with railway lines which are used only for the transport of ore. The tahsil had only two police stations formerly at Ramtek and Mouda. Now two more have been established one each at Devajapar and Parsevani. To increase the production of arms and ammunitions, a defence ordnance factory has been set up. For this purpose extensive area has been acquired by the Government. At Tharsa an experimental agricultural farm and a horticultural research station have been started. The horticultural research station lays stress on increasing the production of oranges. At Dumri and Marodi two seed multiplication farms have been established. At Takardi coal mines are already being worked and a survey conducted by the Indian Bureau of Mines has declared the area around to have been containing extensive deposits of coal. There are the factories of Khandelval Ferro Manganese, Vidarbha Paper Mills, Brooke Bond Tea Centre, Kanpur Chemical Works and Hume Pipes Ltd. Because of the mines and industries Ramtek tahsil has come to attain great importance in recent years.

RAMTEK TOWN.

Position and Population.

Ramtek Town (21°24' N and 79°20' E., p. 11,747).—The headquarter town of the Ramtek tahsil is situated to the north-east of Nagpur at a distance of 54.718 km. (34 miles) by road and 20.922 km. (13 miles) from Salva station. A branch road leads to Ramtek from Mansar on the Nagpur-Jubbulpore national highway and a broad gauge railway line has been constructed to Ramtek from Kamptee. The population of the town according to 1961 Census is 11,758. The town lies round the foot of a detached hill forming the western extremity of the small Ambagad range The name signifies' the hill of Ram'. Older names are Sinduragiri or 'the vermilion mount', and Tapogiri or 'the hill of penance', and both these occur in an inscription of the Laksman temple, dated in the 14th century. The stone of the hill when newly fractured appears almost of a blood-red colour when the sun is on it, and this effect is supposed to have been produced by the blood of the demon Hiranya Kasyap, slain here by Visnu in his Narsinha or 'Man-Lion' incarnation.

Ramtek is celebrated for its. betel-leaf, and a considerable area is devoted to the cultivation of the vine. The leaf produced here is considered a delicacy and is exported to Poona and Bombay. There arc two sets of gardens known as the Maniktal and the Mathurasagar. The town has not much trade, but about 50 malguzars of neighbouring villages reside here. It has a somewhat dirty and disreputable appearance for which the crowds of monkeys who break up the tiled roofs unmolested, are partly responsible. The Ramtek municipality was established in 1867. The completion of the railway, and manganese mines in the vicinity have increased the importance of Ramtek. A large irrigation.reservoir has been constructed in the vicinity, a dam being thrown across a gorge of the Sur river at an estimated cost of about Rs. 13 lakhs. The local institutions comprise three high schools, Marathi primary schools, a dispensary to which is attached a maternity home, a police station, and a post and telegraph office. A veterinary hospital has also been opened. It is the headquarters of tahsil office and Block Development Office.

Ramtek Hill.

On the hill, standing about 152.400 metres (500 feet) above the town, are a number of temples which can be seen gleaming in the sunshine from a long distance. To the south and west sides the hill is protested by a lofty natural scarp, and on the north it has a double line of defence. The inner one belongs to the citadel, and the outer, running below the citadel walls to the west, takes a sweep outwards and is carried across a narrow valley which leads down to the Ambala tank. It is continued along the edge of the south side of the hill facing the town of Ramtek. This outer fortification is now in ruins; it was of rude construction and is ascribed to the Gavalis. Within it was a considerable village, of which there are still traces to be seen. The citadel is at the western or highest extremity of the enclosure, having the chief temples at the apex of the angle. From the west end of the Ambala tank, a flight of steps leads up the hill, at the opposite end of which another flight descends to the town of Ramtek. All pilgrims, who go to worship at the temples, ascend the hill from the Ambala flight of steps. Nearby at the top of the steps to the right is a very old stone-faced tank with a Dharmasala. It is said that Narsinha, after killing the monster Hiranya Kasyap threw away his cudgel on the hill with such force that it made the hole which now forms the tank. Close by are two temples of Narsinha with huge images.

The Coming of Ram.

Opposite to these temples is the one which is known as that of Dhumreswar Mahadev. About this temple it is told that in primeval times a Sudra named Sambuka lived at Ramtek and practised austerities, a prerogative of the higher castes, with such effect that he caused the untimely death of a Brahman's son. On this Ram came and cut off his head. The Sudra was highly pleased at being so honoured in his death, and prayed to Ram that he would abide for ever at Ramtek, and that he (the Sudra) might also be worshipped there. So Ram took up his abode on the hill, and the Sudra was turned into a ling over which the temple of Dhumreswar Mahadev was built. And as a sign that Ram has fulfilled his promise and abides here for ever it is said that from time to time a flame resembling the Morning Star plays round the pointed iron rod on the top of the temple. This phenomenon appears to occur in cloudy weather and to be the effect of an electric discharge. It is on account of the above exploit of Ram and the belief that he took up his residence here that Ramtek is invested with special sanctity.

Citadel and temples.

Further along the hill is a plain mosque said to have been built in memory of one of Aurangzeb's courtiers. From this a flight of steps leads up to the outer gate, a massive building which with all the outer line of walls belonging to the citadel was built by Raghuji I. This gate is called Varah Daravaza, from a huge figure of the Varah or boar incarnation of Visnu which is placed just inside it. This figure is of great age and is referred to in the inscription as ' The Primeval Boar '. Pilgrims slide under its belly and any one who by reason of his bulk or other cause is not able to do so is considered as a sinner. In this court is a temple of Krsna belonging to the Manbhavs. The Singhpur gate in the second line of walls leads to the second court, and all this part of the citadel is much older than the outer walls. In the second court the Marathas had an arsenal and a few old guns are still left. A very fine gateway called the Bhairava Daravaza, leads to the third court or citadel, the walls and bastions of which were restored by the Marathas and are in good repair. In the court are the dwellings of temple servants. Beyond this is the Gokul Darvaza, leading into the last court. In the court is an arch on a platform, a half of which is dedicated to Ganapati, while the other half is claimed by the Kabirpanthis as their sear. The visitor on entering beholds the temples of Raja Dasaratha, the father of Ram and that of Vasistha Muni. Laksman's Temple stands in front and beyond it the great temple of Ram and Sita, while those of various other deities are arranged round the sides. Ram's and Laksman's temples have the outer door-frames plated with brass and the inner with silver. The idols are of black marble and arc said to have been found in the Dudhala tank after the original ones had been mutilated by a Muhammedan iconoclast king. The temples arc in the mediaeval Brahmanic style, and the entrance-court to the shrine is in both of them supported by eight massive pillars. There is an inscription in Laksman's temple, apparently engraved after their construction, and this shows that they are at any rate more than 600 years old. The temples of various other epic personalities like Valmiki, Ganapati, Lav and Kus (the sons of Ram), Kausalya and Sumitra, and Laksmi Narayan are arranged round the sides. The gabharas of almost all the temples measure 37.161 m3 (20' x 20'). The Sabhamandap of the temple of Ram is square in shape while that of Laksman is round. The carvings on the Gokul Daravaza and in the Laksman Mandir are especially noteworthy, To the left of the Ram Mandir there is an eyelet known as Ram Jharoka which gives a panoramic view of the surroundings.

Two great religious fairs are held at Rarntek, one at the time of Tripuri Paurnima and the other at the time of Ram Navmi. On these occasions nearly 20 to 30 thousand people gather, and on the principal day a yellow silk cloth called Pitdmbar is burnt at the top of Ram's temple in commemoration of the burning of the demon Tripurasur whom Siv slew. A good amount of trade in utensils, stationery and other goods takes place which yields a sum of over Rs. 900 to the temples, for the traders arc required to pay something to the temple. The Bhosles have left behind a fund of nine and a half lakhs of rupees from the interest of which the temples are maintained and the festivals are celebrated.

Other temples.

To the east of the Laksman Mandir is the temple of Radha-Krsna. The massive gate in front of this temple, which has been mentioned elsewhere is known as the Bhairava Daravaza. This is so-called probably because of the Nagarkhana, or the music gallery, which is just nearby.

Between the citadel and the traveller's bungalow are the ruins of a small shrine with a life-sized image of Visnu in his Dwarf incarnation. This is considered by archaeologists to be the oldest temple in Ramtek; it is known to the people as the Bhau Bahin temple, Down the hill is a very old temple of Kalinka and some Jain temples of Santi Nath, whose image is about 5.4S6 metres (18 feet) long and has the sign of a deer. The temples are all old, built in the Mediaeval Brahmanic style and one of them being covered with beautiful carvings.

Ambala Tank.

The Ambala tank, which is lined with stone revetments and steps throughout, has many temples on its banks, most of which are of modern construction. Their appearance, however, is picturesque and in the morning, when the sun is shining on the white temples, the view of the tank and hills is very beautiful. Among the temples is one of the rare ones dedicated to the sun. The story of the tank is that there was once a Suryavansi Rajput king named Amba who was a leper. He happened to come to the spot of the present tank while hunting, and feeling thirsty he took water from a spring and washed his face and hands with it. And to his amazement he found that the marks of leprosy disappeared from his skin where the water had touched it. He, therefore, excavated the spring, and from it came up the waters of Bhogavati or the Ganga of the nether world. For this reason, people throw the ashes of the dead into the tank, whose water is as sacred as that of the Ganga. For the purpose of immersing the ashes of the dead a particular part of the tank on the east has been set aside and a ghat has been built which is known as Dasakriya Ghat. In all, eight ghats have been constructed on the tank and have been named after the sacred Aslatirthas. The town has about 27 tanks, several of which are held to be sacred.