Page:The Aristocracy of Southern India.djvu/144

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102
The Aristocracy of Southern India.


Besides a Sanskrit school, there is also an English school teaching up to the Lower Secondary standard at Kallikote. There are competent teachers attached to both the institutions.

Ten poor Brahmins are fed free every day at Kallikote, and thirty poor of other castes are given rations. Byragies who pass Kallikote on pilgrimage are also supplied rations.

The estates are all surrounded by hills, and the forests on them are all systematically and well managed. There are several mines of graphite and manganese. Mr. T. Chaudry, d. d. r., geologist, has been prospecting, and has already discovered some mines of manganese. Every effort is being made to make these mines successful.

There are several places of interest in these estates with grand shrines hoary with age and with views of surpassing beauty. In one of them there is a tank with the idol of Siva in it, whence springs out a fountain of water.

The Rajah Sahib has travelled through India and Upper Burmah. He went twice to Ceylon. He spent his time most usefully in his travels in studying the characteristics of the people.

The revenue from the Kallikote and Atagada estates before the Rajah Sahib took charge of them, was only Rs. 330,000, but now there has been a rapid rise to about Rs. 520,000. The peishcush he has to pay is about 110,000 Rupees. It is to be said to the credit of the Rajah Sahib that he goes out touring to the villages belonging to his estates, hears the complaints of his ryots, redresses their grievances whenever and wherever necessary, and affords them every facility to pay their rent.