Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-14
.DURBAR'S SECOND DAY
Watching the Marvellous Pro-
cession Go By.
GORGEOUS COSTUMES
THE NATIVE PRINCES AND AT
PENDANTS.
How the Wife Of the Rajah Of Kapur-
thala Went to the Corona
GORGEOUS COSTUMES

written for The Evening Star.
As We all assembled for o'clock break
fast in the dining tent of our camp, on the
second day of the Delhi durbar, the talk
was all Of polo, not of the opening Of the
arts exhibition: but that was to be ac-
counted for easily, as three-quarters of
those gathered around the small tables
were young men. the army and the civil
service being well represented. The lack
of enthusiasm indeed Influenced US so far
that we decided not to go to the opening.
but to walk up to the Mort Gate and watch
the brilliant procession go by, of those who
were compelled to attend. Brilliant indeed
it was, long lne-of gorgeous, high-swung
carriages lined with brocade and embroid
cred velvet Of the rajahs, maharajahs. ma
haranas and all the other native princes,
each Of whom was accompanied by four,
eight or twelve mounted and liveried re-
tainers, two leading and the others bring
Ing up the rear The native gentlemen
themselves We're clad in all colors of the
rainbow, and almost Invariably in perfect
taste. In one carriage were seated a ma
haraJah and three gentlemen attendants In
coats of pale lavender, rose color, dark
red, gold embroidered velvet and the palest
green brocade, their turbans of different
colors adorned with jeweled aigrettes and
great strings of pearls and emeralds around
their necks. The five princes who have al
ways claimed our deepest interest are the
old Hindoo Maharajah of Jaipur, the Nizam
of Hyderabad, the boy Maharajah of Pa
ITALIA, the Rajah of Kapurthala and Pratab
Singh, the sporting Maharajah of Idar, the
colonel commanding the Imperial Cadets.
Jaipur, an old man with white hair and
most princely dignity, is a thoroughly con-
SiStent Hndoo.
He keeps up in his beautiful city all the
old traditions possible, and encourages no
modern innovations, but at the same time
he Is well-read, Intelligent old prince,
anxious for the welfare of his people. His
elephant stables are the largest in India,
his palace one of the most gorgeous. When
he went to England to the coronation last
year he chartered a steamer, took his own
retinue, none out of his own caste, and
among other things took with hing tank
Of the sacred water of the Gauges, SO that
during his stay there he should never have
to drink any other water. Consistency is
certainly a virtue when it is the quality
Of an Intelligent mind, and helps make up
so keen an intellect that of his highness
the fine old Maharajah of Ja!pur.
Has Third Wife.
The Rajah of kapurthala is of quite
different sort, a very tall, fat, thick-lipped
man, with a thick neck; he Is extremely
modern in his views and is supposed to
have some talent for literature, as he has
written In English book which has been
more or less read. He is musical, in that
he plays several instruments, and sings
some French songs, and he Is principally
known, 1 may say, for the possession of
very pretty and spirited young wife from
Cashmere. She is his third wife, and so, OF
course, has no position outside her own
country, and not the first in it, which has
been a matter OF serious import to her.
She is pretty enough to be called so even
in a bevy of the pretty women of America,
but she has an air OF Self-consciousness
which detracts greatly from her charm.
She seems to be sincerely fond of her hus-
band, and we were told that Kapurthaia
was very proud of her. She went with him
on his tour around the world. and accom-
panied him to the coronation In London as
one of his pages. She is said to have urged
him to take her with him as his wife, but
as she could not be received in London he
refused, when her active brain devised the
plan Of going as a page, and as such she
accompanied him to Windsor and to Buck.
ingham. We were told that the king and
queen had heard the story and were quite
young woman. She herself. in speaking
of the experience to one Of our friends,
said, with a gratifed little smile, that
many people asked who the beautiful young
page of the rajah could be. The Mahamjah
Of Idar, Pratap Sengh, is the bestowed and
most admired of all the native princes by
his own people and by the British also. He
is fine soldier, a lover of all sports; has
the finest lions in India, and is withal an
honest, simple prince, loyal to the British
and to his own people as well, and the best
rider and one of the most dashing figures
in India. 49,
Is Only Twelve.
Patiala is only a tail boy Of twelve, but
his face, although showing some Of the
most unpleasant features of the eastern
countenance, being thick-lipped with prom
Trent eyes, has withal a look of thoughtful
ness and rather a tragic expression. His
father died year ago and he has felt deep
~ the responsibility of government, we are
told. He looks the prince, and his straight,
slight figure and proud young face cannot
fail to inspire interest. The small and
rather insignificant figure of the most pow
erful of all the princes, the NiZam of Hy-
derabad, is disappointment at first sight,
but WREN one gets good look into the
face of the keen-eyed old Nzam one feels
that the eastern prince of ones imagination