The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-01-15 00:00:00

THE HALL OF THE THOUSAND
PILLARS.

The Special Correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, in one
of his intereattog letters from India, thus describes the Hall
of the Thousand Pillars at Srtraugam :

It is dedicated to that respectable deity Vishnu, is the
centre of one of the finest temples in India, is sur-
rounded by massive towers, and contains many
precious treasures. A visit from the Prince therefore
was a certainty, and the priests Prepared accordingly.
The road along which'hia Royal Highness had to pass
was exceedingly beautiful. Date and cocoanut palms,
with almost every other kind of tropical tree, overhung
and shaded it, the vasied costumes of the people added
to the brightness of the scene, and consequently the
drive was very enjoyable. Arrived at the pagoda, the
Prince was received by the dignitaries of the
temple with all possible pomp and show. Old
men in long white robes, accompanied . by, A
number of nautch-girls gaudily drearit d,- oriiatbented
with bangles, rings, joyels in their hair, and wreaths
of flowers on their heads; met the Prince at the end of
a long corridor and conducted him to the temple, the
girls singing a low chant and scattering flowers OD the
pathway. In this way the Royal party moved into a
kind of reception saloon, where the treasures of the
place were displayed on a table. As usual, they were
of the most varied and curious kinds, valuable appa-
rently only for their weight as pieces of embossed gold
and for the jewels which enriched them. No possible use,
for instance, could be made of a golden hand eighteen
inches long and proportionately broad; or of a foot of
even greater size. Nor were the ornaments available
for personal decoration, unless a man felt inclined to
hang himself in golden chains, when the assortment at
Srirangam might be useful. However, it was interest-
ing to look at these curiosities ; interesting also to watch
the countenances of the priests, as with evident pride
they directed the attention of the Prince to one article
after another; and his Royal Highness courteously
wa'ted till the exhibition was concluded without the
slightest sign of impatience. His courtagy may be
better understood when it is known that in addition to
the delay already incurred it was proposed to read an
address. Smilingly his Royal Highness asiented to
this also, whereupon an old gentleman with a wonder-
ful name read some mild platitudes and assurances of
loyalty with great self-satisfaction. True that the:
words were engraved upon a sheet of gold. A 111,its
Kilmansegg might have valued the oration on that
account. But the history of Trichinopoly scarcely
needed to be told again, and we were all vet Y glad
when the priest had done reading it. The inspection
of the Hall of the Thousand Pillars followed, and was
better appreciated. As an architectural work the
singular apartment could scarcely be called a triumph.
Half the number' of pillars, better carved and more
regularly arranged, would have produced a better
effect; half that number again would have been a
further .improvement; the roof was irregular;- the ,
supports were crooked, and the vista very defetrtrreii
So much for the interior; the view from the roof,
to which ' the Prince was presently taken, was
good. Here the towers of the temple with
their rich carving were fully in view, and they
repaid the trouble which the Prince had taken in