The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-04
CITY OF AMBER.
It Is g Beautiful but Deserted Pal

|
1t Is Beautiful but Deserted Pal
ace.
Winslsro Anderson in saA Francisco chronicIs
. The renowned and now deserted city Of
Amber, in Northwestern India, hourishei
with its countless thousands of inhabitants
and untold wealth and spIendor in the time
OF the Ptolemya
1t is situated in q mountain nook, about
five miles from the present city OF Jeypore,
and is enc of midas jeweled possessions for
sntlQuarians
The great Amber palace is built Of solid
red sandstone and variegated Jeypore
marble, and inlald with costly gems II
has stood for centuries as 1t now stands
upen an elevated mountain slope overlook
ing picturesque lake and surrounded by
steep and rugged fortified peaks, with the
walled and long since doomed and ruined
city below.
The palace is a mastery structure Of
Hindoo architecture, solid and secure, yet
! ornamental and beautiful EGtranos 10
gained through a massive and strongly
| fortified gate which leads into q spacious
central court, richly adorned with rare
carvings, mighty trees and Towering
! shrubberY.
The grand diwan-i-am or audience ball is
reached from the spacious court by a mas
sive flight Of carved marble steps. This
hall is a noble example of Rajput art with
its double rows Of shining marble columns
supporting a massive entablAture, above
which are Iatticed galleries of marble
worked in rare designs.
The ceiling is of sculDtured fresstone,
while the floor is made up Of huge slabs OF
| polished mari BILE
1t was upon the floor that the ancient
kings and mobiles Of this once royal oity
| witnessed many gorgeous scenes Of geysty
and cruelty. Here they Rpplauded the
|
viewed the many fierce conflicts between
men and beasts, and between royal Bengal
tigers and noble fighting elephants in the
grand courtyard below.
1t was also upon this spacious floor that
the kings and queens OF this ancient realm
| gathered together at sunrise every morning
for many centuries to witness the sacrifice
| of a living human being on that huge,
| black, blood besmeared stone altar in tho
small royal temple just over there to the
| right Of this marble hall.
Here they would Sit on their gold-woven
rugs and hear the dying means and ses and
smell the smoke Of these sacrificed victims
in order to appease las they devoutly be-
lieved and believe to this day the divine
| Shiva's wrath.
1t is here that one may see every morn
| ing in the year an innocent goat burned
! alive as a substitute for a human
being as an Offering to heaven to appease
| the destroyer's anger. How very like our
| early biblical history.
From this hall, eohoing with memories
| both gay and sad, we wander through spa
cious halls and galleries, ella borstely carved
| apartments, up and down long rows of
splendid stairs, through sculptured gate
| ways covered with mosaics and doors inlaid
| In ivory and precious stones, until we reach
the highest terrace in the palace.
| This was exclusively devoted to the ra jah's
personal apartments, contrary to our mod
/ r,lnr e,f
| we placed our servants ia the ARREST and
| best ventilated rooms and remain ourselves
| in the lowest, dampest and unhealthiest
| parts Of our houses.
These kingly apartments are beautifully
constructed with marble lattice windows
| aud pavilions gilt and carved ceilings and
| spacious arched porticos.
On our left is the icy mandir, or hall OF
| victory, adorned by panels of Aiabaster in
| laid with flowers In alto-relieyo and ceiling
glittering with mirrored and spangled work
| for which Amber was long renowned, and
for which Jeypore, its successor, is now
| justly celebrated.
Opposite this grand hall of victory is the
snkh nawas, or hall Of pleasure, with its
doors OF sweet scented sapdalwood inlaid
with ivory and its gorgeous paintings Of
pleasures on earth aud in heaven.
Here are groves from which issue cool
clear streams Of pure mountain water
which is perfumed and made TO run in
carved channels the whole length of the
marble floor to cool the heated etmos-
phere and the gay occupants OF this hall of
pleasure.
Adjoining this beautiful hall are the
sumptuous bathing apartments and deep,
cool pleasure caverns surrounded by ferns
and rare flowers, where the kings and
queens of this ancient castle bid defiance 10
old Soils burning rays during Indias hottest
days.
Here they whiled away their happy days
amid love and pleasure in an atmosphere
rendered sweet by the aroma of costly in
cense, listening to the strains of Indian
music, gazing now and then upon the many
beautiful girls as they performed in scanty
attire, as they do to this day, the famous
nautch dance of India.
| Next to these pleasure halls and groves
are the spacious apartments once occupied
by the hale EN-, an indispensable adjunct to
all eastern palaces.
1t was here that the mighty maharaiah
Jey Singh, in the early part of the eigh-
teentA century ruled supreme in his teweled
spot on earth among his hundreds Of care
fully chosen wives, like King David Of old.
From every hall and terrace, from every
arched pavilion and cavern latticed win
dow OF this wonderful old palace, we got
glimpses Of this picturesque spot, this his
torlc city, surrounded as it is by all that
nature and art can do to make it beautiful
Mirrored in that clear blue lake below one
sees the ancient gilded domes and shrines
, of many costly temples. There are the
noble trees planted so many centuries ago.
Yonder are the strong old city walls with
their frowning towers and ramparts, their
massive gates and splendid Notifications
built so long ago, and on each side tower up
the castled and fortified crags SO majestic
ally, as If conscious of their own strength
and power
, The whole panorama gives evidence Of
the barbaric splendor enjoyed by this noble
race of powerful Hindu kings so many CEN
turtles ago.
A RTORv AROrT uDTsON