The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1900-05-24
AN EAST INDIAN CARNIVAL.
Coior' Movement and Music on the
Surface of the Sacred River
Ganges.


| "Benares is an everlasting garden of
festivals" writes r. ID. Mackenzie. in
Century, in a paper on "The Mahara-
jas Water Carnival"
THE hot afternoon slowly sank into
evening, the river being like sheet
OF glass; one almost gasped for air
The tempted bank was slowly shroud-
ed IN the gray veil of evening, and
something like disappointment hung
IN the sultry atmosphere, when sud
+ denly the boatmen cried: Here they
come!" With difficulty / could make
out some small gray spot about two
miles up the river, just coming into
view round the bend from Ramnarar
fort, the residence of the maharaia.
Slowly they approached, until at last |
they were close upon us. The air
seemed to grow cooler, and the heat
was forgotten. All attention was
nxed upon two lovely visions-one
could not call them boats-the fore
most a pair of dappled gray horses ris-
ing completely out of the water, sun
porting canopy of red silk on silver
poles, under which were seated, on the |
long boat Of painted lotus flowers the Z
maharaja and his princes, dressed in
The most delicate harmonies Of ori-
sntal color, silver and gold, in the
midst of which were a few dashes Of
carlet. The crew, with pink -bladed X
'ars, dipped into the liquid crystal of e
he river. The second float repre- 81
ented a gigantic peacock, carrying on I
Is long, distended back triple can ST
py OF kincob strawberry and gold --
nder which sat the maharaja's son
nd heir the ministers and other state
Close on every side were
small craft lowering in AZ
leir wake like dancing water N,
aetles. ~
The last glow of light was fading ~: ~
way, the little Noah's arks that SO ~ ~
disappeared in the n' ~,
orning came quietly stealing out in w
listers from their hiding, until. bv La
e time the temple was reached Pa
lich it was the purpose of the pro- Nj
sslon 70 visit-the river was a cha sa'
&c mass of moving color, over which Ce
curtain of night was rapidly fall m,
= without the least warning. a tbe
'ch famed up in the midst. and for -
instant blotted out the whole snec- ooH
lie in inky blackness. But pradu- '"u
the eye became accustomed to oa'
change, the torch burned slowly IN
'n. and in its place a crimson n Mi
en- and yellow flare of artificial n
burst forth with spasmodic smut Jos
ngs illuminating one boat in Uta
en- another In crimson, while an ives
er passed In sable shadow. The IVES
I-Purple reflection from the semi ..
Ilnous sky alternatcd with fba 4,
nson and green as the maharaia's ~
= attempted 10 lead through fhe
hazard mass back past the tenn Exp
and out TO the floating tents IN joss
-stream-a carnival indeed. and Neh
OF that picturesque accident cihc
n - seen TO sach perfection in the IL
Of an oriental gath lon
time
,ss .s.a py ION, one the boats and bargea 10
. r1.n e".,-.e''es .n 70 the floating 90 O
proportions; they were rarions- '"e
aninated with lanterns and crvs-
'nandeliers. Of which the native
oia Il sery proud The tents were u. : i.
ded 10 their utroet ii.r,t. ~ + r ..
7. thin voices Of the nautcb g,ris HOW
heard on the still night air. ws4b Gen