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15 December 1905 — Jaipur | |
Friday. 15th [December 1905]. Sir Swinton Jacob came to us in the morning & took us to see the Cenotaphs of the Maharajahs of Jaipur. We drove for some way on the road to Amber & then walked up a steep & stony path between cottages shaded with trees in which monkeys were playing & jumping till we got a picturesque spot with an enclosure containing the monuments. They are very fine & the place is picturesque & wild just under the barrier which forms the entry to the Amber pass & from it we can see the ruined palace of the Maharajah & the dried up lake. The walled enclosure seems full of these cenotaphs & one wonders where the next one will be placed. We got back abt 12 o’cl to the Hotel & wrote our letters for the mail going out later with Mr Bajnanth for a drive in the gardens. On our way back from the cenotaphs Sir Swinton took us to a small shop in a side street into a tiny shop where lived a man who made small brass work figures of camels, elephants & which Nela wanted to buy– The place was so small that there seemed scarcely room for 3 people in European dress to stand in it– After getting a few of his wares for a small price we went on to a jewelers house where we were taken up a very steep narrow stairs to a room opening out on to the centre court & by 2 columns & arches. Chairs were produced & set for us & we were asked to be patient as the Master was not in yet having gone to the temple to pay his morning devotions– After a while he appeared a stout elderly man dressed in a gorgeous coloured quilted coat with an embroidered cap on his head—a great Emerald earring in the upper part of his right ear—a jewelled necklace round his neck & large rings on 2 of his fingers. He saluted in the usual way & sat himself down on the ground opposite us—ordered his assistants to bring out jewellery to show us which he laid on a low table before us. His assistant brought out all kinds of lovely things from tin boxes in wh each article lay wrapped in bits of calico. We were delighted with the gold & enamel Jaipur work & longed to buy most of it—but I only bought a pretty parasol knob wh I intend to send to Princess Charlotte of S. Meiningen as a Christmas gift– We also invested in necklaces of common jade & of carbuncles threaded on gold thread to take home as small presents– All this took a long time to do—as the Oriental mind cannot be hurried & we had to see all he wished to show us. We left Jaipur in the evening taking a family compartment by paying 4 first class places. By this means the carriage was shunted at the places at wh we should have had to change & we arrived at Udaipur on | |
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