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17 January 1906 — Allahabad | |
Wednesday. 17th [January 1906]. We took leave of the Stanleys & accompanied by Miss Mabel Waldegrave left Allahabad by the 11.30 train. Mr Sarabji met us at the station to see us off for Benares which we reached abt 5. The train was very full of natives all going to bathe in the Ganges & we arrived more than an hour after our time. At the station before Benares we were met by an old Indian gentleman the Honble Munshi Madho Lal who was a colleague of Sir John Stanley & to whom he had written to recommend us– He also introduced his young private secy a Baboo who spoke very good English. He recommended us to go to the Hotel de Paris where rooms had been ordered for us. The hotel was not very good but we soon settled in. The old Munshi paid us a visit later on to see if we were comfortable & said that he was afraid he could do little for us but that if it wd interest us to see a native party he would be very glad to see us this evening at his house where there would be singing & theatricals. Miss Waldegrave declared herself too tired to be able to accept but Nela & I gladly did so. At the station of Allahabad we found we had to travel with an English lady, we recognised in her a lady who had travelled out in the “Egypt” with us, a Mrs Benyon & she now had with her a daughter who was dressed as a deaconess– They also came to the “Paris.” When we told them at dinner of our invitation Mrs Benyon rather frightened us as to what sort of an entertainment we should find. However we determined to risk it & after dinner Nela & I drove off in an open carriage with Ajoo on the box. It was very dark & the way seemed long. At last we seemed to turn out of the road into a private park & found ourselves before a large house lighted up by the electric light in every window of the two stories. We stopped at & under a portico & were ushered up an outside stairs to the first floor—then through a room beautifully carpeted well, in the middle 2 low bedsteads—from there our host led us into a large inner hall where we found the entertainment going on– A low divan stood at the end near the door. Here we sat with the Munshi. At the further end was hung a white sheet in front of which the sacred play was going on. All round the sides of the room sat men crosslegged—the audience. On one side near the actors sat musicians with tomtoms—on the other a musician playing a kind of harmonium. The actors were 2 boys, seated on the ground clad in white, their hair hanging about their shoulders. In front was a girl singing & declaming– She was dressed in bright yellow & red all bespangled & had a sort of high crown on her head & her hair hanging down. Our host (who was dressed in jacket & trousers with a grey Indian shawl turbanwise round his head) explained that the girl was the good giantess who having heard that the bad giantess had vowed the death of the 2 youths had also vowed to save them. The scene was long—the singing & music monotonous. The munshi declared that the words were touching & interesting, but after a time he signalled to stop the performance and asked a young man who was sitting near with a splendid rose colour turban run with silver threads, to sing. He explained that he was the best singer in India & is staying with him. The singer having agreed seated himself crosslegged on the carpet in the middle of the room. Another man brought an immensely long lute with but one string & seated himself near him– Another sat behind & seemed to have to sing now & then in chorus. The lute having been tuned a kind of prelude was played the harmonium keeping up a kind of bass hum & then the great singer burst into song– At first softly with many turns & roulades the which he accompanied by the movements of his lifted right hand– The notation of this Indian music is so utterly different to ours that it is impossible to appreciate it. There are evidently many gradations from one tone to the next. But one could see that the singer had a marvellous controul over his voice & at times it was immensely loud—at other so soft as hardly to be distinguished. It appears that the words he sang were from a sacred poem & evidently his audience was much touched by it. The Munshi declared that it was a pity we could not understand them as they were very beautiful & were more than 1000 years old, as was also the play. The singer continued to play & sing for a long time. He had a wonderful way of being able change his voice from the loudest suddenly to the softest—only just audible * kept on an immense long time. During this coffee was brought to us & placed on a small table. It was hard work to get through the compound of milk & coffee with a tremendous lot of sugar. I got through my cupful as quick as I could & to my dismay the Munshi at once ordered me a 2nd. This I had to refuse. While the enré lament proceeded the Munshi kept going to an open doorway covered with a chick. He told us that behind this were the ladies who could see what was going on. I hinted that we should have been glad to be allowed to make their acquaintance. He said his wife was ill & old being nearly 60. (At this being 62 myself I felt abashed & an impostor) & his daughter was in dishabille & he was sure that I would reflect that no ladies liked to be seen unless they were nicely dressed. After some time—which seemed long to us—the singer ceased & came to us to be thanked & complimented. I said I hoped he had not fatigued himself to wh he answered that he could have easily have sung for 3 hours more! The play was resumed & this time the bad giantess appeared on the scene a horrid figure in a black short skirt trimmed with yellow & red designs with blacked face & teeth & fuzzy black hair hanging about her head. She began with “Dekho” & proceeded to declaim—presently she was joined by a procession of holy men with pink draperies amongst wh was the Monkey God & one old man in a large wig of tow—& the 2 youths of the preceeding act. They sang & talked & at last filed out all but the monkey God who was left to tussle with the bad goddess. The Munshi said this lady had designs on the affections of the Monkey God who had vowed to refuse her. In this delicate situation we left them. It was getting late & the entertainment was evidently going to last late into the night. Even then the audience was still dropping in. Our host accompanied us to the carriage—thanked us for coming—we thanked him for letting us come & we drove back to the hotel delighted with our expedition & glad we had not been deterred from going. | |
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