Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/313

 SAR 305 are Musalmans. There is one mosque, four temples in honour of Debi, and one to Mahadeo. SARA Pargana* -Tahsil HARDOI-District HARDOI.-A subdivision of tahsil Hardoi consisting of 85 villages. Pargana Alamnagar bounds it on the porth, pargana Shahabad on the west, parganas Báwan and Gopamau on the south and south-east, pargana Mansurnagar on the east. The Sai, here called Bhainsta, flows along part of its eastern border. It is eleven and a half miles and thirteen miles in extreme length and breadth, and its area is 90 square miles. Rather more than half (52.92 per cent.) is cultivated; a third (3409) is culturable. About an eighth (11:56) is returned as barren. Not quite a seventh (14-82 per cent.) is rated as third class, that is, sandy. Half of the cultivated area (49:41) is watered from wells (34'19) and tanks (15:22). The percentage under groves is 1.43. Seven acres is the average area of cultivation per plough. There is little to notice in its physical features except the excellence of the soil and the great quantites of jhíls and marshes. Some of them are embanked, but the facilities offered for rice cultivation are not taken advantage of. “There are," notes Mr. McMinn, " thousands of bíghas of splendid rice ground which lie utterly unproductive. I have no doubt the lamhardars object, because the persáhi (wild rice), which is their manorial right, and which grows spontaneously, would be superseded. They say they do not sow rice, but in some places Kíchhis have raised very fine crops. The country is rather bare of groves. Single pípal and banyan and pákar trees are common, but no groves have been planted for years. All in existence are clearly old and mostly barren." The number of forest trees still standing in the fields is an indication that the pressure of population has not yet become overpowering. The banks of the Bhainsta near Haríaon, fringed with low jungles and shaded by stately beech-like "arjan” trees, presents a scene of quiet beauty. A fine prospect may be enjoyed from the ruined fort of Saádatnagar, on the top of Soháwan Khera The closeness of the water to the surface--it has rarely to be dug for for more than fifteen feet-makes irrigation easy. The sub-soil is so firm that in most of the villages wells worked with the leathern bucket (pur) and oxen can be dug. They cost from two to four or five rupees, and last generally for four years, and some times up to 10 and 12 years. The pargana is pretty well off for roads. The Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway runs through its western side, and one of the stations is at Chándpur. The north is traversed by the unmetalled road from Piháni to Shahabad ; the Hardoi and Shahabad road skirts the west, while the east side is crossed by the road from Hardoi to Piháni, But cross-roads are wanted to connect the heart of the pargana with the Pihani and Shahabad road on the north. There are no markets of any importance. 39
 * By Mr. A. H. Harington, C.S.