BASIM TALUK AND TOWN.
i88
11,576; receipts for 1880-81,
^262;
expenditure, ;^384; incidence
of municipal taxation per head of population, 5 id. Meteorological Aspects. The climate of Basim is preferred to that of
—
the other Districts in Berar
summer months
the hot wind which blows during the day
Highest at night by a cool breeze. May, io4°F. lowest in December, 63°; rainfall for 1881, 37'87 inches, which was inches above the average over 32 inches fell from June to September. The principal diseases are fevers, bowel complaints, and cholera. The number of deaths registered in 1880 from all causes was 6464. Ratio of deaths per 1000 of population, 18 0. The number of births registered in 1880 was 10,652 ratio per 1000 of population, 297. Two Government dispensaries and one civil hospital afforded medical relief in 1880 to 9600 patients; 9355 persons were vaccinated by the vaccine in the
shade temperature
at
is
succeeded
Basim
in
—
department or
the
at
civil
[For
dispensaries.
further
information
regarding Basim District, see the Berar Gazetteer, edited by Sir Alfred
(Bombay, 1870); the Census Keport for Berar for and the Advwiistration Reports of the Haidarabdd Assigned
Lyall, K.C.B., C.S.
1881
Districts for 1880 to 1882.]
Basim.
— Taluk of Basim
District, Berar.
Area, 1051 square miles;
town and 321 villages. Population (1881) 157,690, namely, 81,565 males and 76,125 females, or i5o‘o3 persons per square mile. Hindus numbered 145,857 Muhammadans, 7891 Jains,
contains
i
1830
Sikhs, 18
Christians, 93
Parsi,
Area occupied by
r.
cultivators,
543,943 acres.
—
Basim. Town in Berar, head-quarters of the District and tdlick of same name. Lat. 20° 6' 45" n., long. 77° ii" e. height above sea
the
1758 feet; population (i88i) within municipal limits, 11,576, namely, 6015 males and 5561 females. Of the total population, 8685 were returned as Hindus, 2485 as Musalmans, 317 as Jains, 79 as Christians, 9 Sikhs, and i Parsi. Area of town site, 568 acres. The town is distant 52 miles south-south-east from Akola, on the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, and 29 miles north from the military station of Hingoli ; good metalled roads connect it with both
level,
these places.
a
Rishi,
tells
and
It
is
said to be a very old town,
originally
named
after
him
of a king, Wasuki, afflicted with
Wachh
leprosy,
founded by Wachh, Gulin.
A
legend
who was cured by
bathing in a pool outside the town, which he enlarged to a tank, known as Padma Ti'rtha, still largely resorted to for bathing in. It is said to petrify articles exposed to in
the
17th century,
its
action.
received large grants
The Desmukhs
of Bisim,
of land and perquisites
from the Mughal Emperor, and the family have always been of some After the Bhonsla ruler at Nagpur consideration in South Berar. ceased to receive a share (jo) of the revenue, the Nizam stationed
