actual area cropped has risen since the thirty years' settlement from to in 1906–07, an increase of 29 percent, which is the largest in any tahsil. Of the total area 75 percent is occupied, 8.7 is scrub jungle, 4.2 tree-forest, and 11.8 unculturable. Once Katol and Kalmeshwar talukas in Nagpur district had enough groundwater to irrigate their orange orchards, but in the past decade or so, the water table has gone down to 700–900 feet in almost the entire belt and digging of bore wells has become uneconomical. Farmers here have now switched to conventional dry-land farming of cotton and soybean, with the area under orange cultivation reduced almost to half. Temples Chandika Devi Mandir – The temple is believed to have been built during the reign of one king Chandrahasa, who is supposed to have ruled over this territory in the dim and distant past. The construction of the temple is. in the Hemadpanthi 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 Chandika. Outside is the ' Sabhamandap' having windows on all the four sides which serve as inlets for the sunlight. In the center 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 glamor to the solid and grave structure of the building. The architectural designs speak eloquently of the architects of those times. In Navratra , Shardotsava is celebrated with great éclat when thousands of people gather to pay homage to the goddess. Sharada 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