The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-03-29
ITISA CITY 0FAMBER
A BEAUTIFUL BUT DESERTED PAL
ACE IN NORTHERN INDIA.


Noble Race of Hindoo Kings Who Lived
Long. Long Before Modern Times
The renowned and now deserted city
Of Amber. IN northwestern India. -four
ished with its countless thousands Of IN
habitants and untold wealth and splen-
dor IN the time Of the Ptolemys.
Il Is situated in 2 mountain nook,
about fve miles from the present city OF
Jevpoor. and is one Of India's 9eweied
possessions for antiquarians.
The great Amber palace is built Of
solid red sandstone and variegated Jey-
poor marble and inlaid with costly gems.
Il has stood for centuries as It now
stands. upon an elevated mountain slope
overlooking a picturesque lake and sur
ro1nded by steep and rugged fortified
peaks. with the walled and long since
doomed and ruined city below.
The palace is n mastery structure Of
Hindoo architecture. solid and secure,
yet ornamental and beautiful Entrance
is gained through q massive and strongly
fortified gate which leads intoa spacious
central court richly adorned with rare
carvings mighty trees and Towering
shrubbery.
The grand diwan-i-am or audience hal
Is reached from the spacious court by q
massive fight Of carved marble steps.
THIS hail j. . noble example Of Ral-ut-
art. with It's double rows Of shining mar
bic columns supporting a massive entab-
Iature. above which are latticcd galleries
Of marble worked il rare designs.
The ceiling is Of sculptured freestone,
while the floor is made up Of hinge slabs
Of polished marble.
Il was upon this floor that the ancient
kings and mobiles Of this once royal city
witnessed many gorgeous scenes Of gayety
and cruelty Here they aVplauded the
royal tits and sports. and here they re-
viewed use many fierce conflicts between
men and beasts and between royal Ben
gal tigers and noble fighting elephants
in the grand courtyard below.
II 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 besIneared stone altar
in the 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 see and smell the smoke Of these
sacrificed victims, in order to appease
(as they devoutly believed and believe to
this day) the divine Shivs's wrath.
Il is here that one may see everymorn-
ing in the year an innocent goat burned
alive as a substitute for human being
as an Offering to heaven to appease the
destroyer's anger. How very ike our
early biblical history.
From this hall. echoing with memo
ries both gay and sad. we wander
through spacious halls and galleries,
elaborately carved apartments, up and
down long rows Of splendid stairs.
through sculptured gafeways covered
with mosaics and doors inlaid in ivory
and precious stones. until we reach the
highest terrace in the palace.
This was exclusively devoted 10 the
rajahs personal apartments, contrary TO
our modern rules Of sanitary arrange
ments. for now we place or servants IN
the airiest and best ventilated rooms and
remain ourselves IN the lowest, dampest
and unhealthiest parts Of our houses.
These kingly apartments are beauti-
fully constructed with marble lattice
windows and pavilions. gilt and carved
ceilings and spacious arched porucoes.
On our left is the JOY mandir, or hall
of victory. adorned by panels Of alabas-
81 - - i.
and ceiling glittering with mirrored and
spangled work. for which Amber was
long renowned, and for which JeypOor.
its successor. Is now justly celebrated.
Opposite this grand hall Of victory is
the sukh uawas. or hall Of pleasure, with
jts doors Of sweet scented sandalwOod In
laid with ivory and its gorgeous paint /
lngs Of pleasures on earth and in heaven.
Here are groves from which issue cool. /
clear streams Of pure mountain wafer.
which is perfumed and made 10 run in
carved channels the whole length Of the
marble floor to cool the heated atlnos-
phere and the gay occupants Of this hall.
Adjoining this beautiful hall are the
sumpUuous bathing apartments and the
deep. cool pleasure caverns, surrounded
by ferns and rare flowers, where the
kings and queens Of this ancient castle
babe defiance TO old Soils burning rays
during India's hottest DAYS.
Here they whiled away their happy
days amid love and pleasure in an atmos-
phsre rendered sweet by the aroma OF
costly incense. listening to the strains of
Indian music. gazing now and then up
on the beautiful girls as they performed
IN scanty attire-as they do 10 this day
the famous nautch dance Of India
Next 10 these pleasure halls and groves
are the spacious apartments once occu-
pied by the harein-an indispensable ad-
Junct 10 all eastern palaces.
II was here that the mighty mahara-
Jah. Jey Singh, IN the early part Of the I
eighteenth century ruled supreme in I
this leweled spot on earth among his /
hundreds Of carefully chosen wives like 1
King David Of old
From every hail and terrace, from ev- |
ery arghed pavilion and cavern latticed 4
window q this wonderful old palace, we /
got glilnIsesol this picturesque spot, this /
historic city. surrounded as Il is by all /
that nature and art can do to make il /
beautiful.
Mirrured in that clear. blue lake bo-
low one sees the ancient gilded domes /
and shrines Of many costly temples. 4
There are the noble trees planted 50 I
many centuries ago.
Nonder are the strong old CITY walls I
with their frowning towers and ram
parts. their massive gates and splendid 4
fOrnficauons built 50 long ago. and on /
each side tower mp the castled and fort /
fed erass 50 uaiestically, as If conscious
81 their own strength and power.-San 1
Francisco Chronicle.
Culture and PoIi;eness In Caracas.
Caracas has public library which 4
contains not less than $1,000 volumes.
The better class Of citizens are not oniv =
educated as we understand the word.
but accomplished TO a degree not com /
nlon IN North America. Both sexes are I
able TO speak tl.rse OF four languages be /
ssdes their own and are well cd in art !
and music. As for poiitcness. there are !
no slch people under the sun. When +
ever Venezuelan. male or female.
writes q letter, whether 70 = dear friend 1
or stranger, he CT she invariably con- /
cludes 1t with the words, Beso susms-
nos. Il KISS your hands, and whenever 4
a Venezuelan gentleman meets a lady. I
whether 1t be ms sweetheart OF his
s7..,f.fIr. Ia l~a.-s....