Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-04
THE DURBAR SERVICE
Magnificent Costumes Worn
at the State Ball.
LADY CURZON'S DRESS
MOST WONDERFUL OF GOWNS ON
A BEAUTIFUL WEARER.
Marvellous Scenes in the Procession Of
Native Chiefs and Re-
LADY CURZON'S DRESS
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
Sunday, the 4th of January, dawned bril-
Iantly. greatly to our peace of mind, as
there was to be state service at the Polo
Club grounds with the massed bands, fif-
teen full regimental bands and all except
the native regiments Of the 10000 troops to
join In the service. The choir OF 900 SOL
diers were to sing through megaphones, We
were told, which did not appeal to us as
an attraction, although 1t turned out to be
less Objectionable than we had feared.
On our rather late arrival we found most
wonderful and impressive sight, for the
grand stand of the club house was crowded
with gayly dressed people seated around
the canopy under which the four bishops,
Calcutta, Madras, Lahore and Lucknow,
with their assistants, conducted the serv-
Ice, and the flat plain of the polo ground
800 yards in width, was filled by an army
In full dress uniform, each color quite dis
tinct, the mass of red coats next solid
block of dark green; the beautiful tunics
of the cavalry and the fawn and white Of
the khaki and white helmets; and back OF
all, on another stand, the bands.
The service itself which, under cover,
would have been impressive beyond words
was a bit disappointing, as the distance was
SO great that the music of bands and voices
was lost. This distance can be better I'M
derstood when one realizes that 1t was
necessary to signal from the grand stand
to the choir at the close of the prayers AMI
beginning of hymns and chants, which was
done by man on horseback who stood
with his signal flags in trent of the stand
The State Ball.
The long-Iooked- forward-to night of Janu-
airy at last arrived, the date of the state
ball, and there was a general stir of ex-
citement in the dining tent of our camp as
Lodi rod in fhai
ball gowns and the many men in gorgeous
uniform or evening dress, ready for an
early start; and early as we succeeded in
getting off. we found the great Diwan-f-Am
rapidly filling up. 1t seemed out of place
to have a hall of audience in fort 300
years old, lighted by electricity, and we
wished that the powers had seen tit to use
hundreds of the usual tiny glass lamps in
its place. 1t was an evening of very great
pleasure to US, and yet one, which, leaving
out the hall itself and the few native COS
TUNES, which were quite ecipsed by the
many Partisan ones, we might have been
in London, Paris or New York. The cleo
trio light, the elegant supper, the modern
toilets and the military bands playing
the latest and newest waltzes all gave to
it an appearance of incongruity and to US
q feeling of disappointment.
None of the dresses shone out especially
except the famous one of Lady Curzon, Of
which every jeweler in India claims the
making for be it known that in connection
with all the jewelers. establishments, the
large ones there are embroiderers in gold
and silver and pearls, as we'll as carpet
weavers and brass workers. 1t is a most
beautiful piece of embroidery, the finest
gold thread palest blue silk making a
most beautiful dress on a most beautiful
woman. After the state lancers which to
the younger members of our party seemed
quite unending. the general dancing began
and the supper was served in the beautiful
little white marble and alabaster Diwan-
t-khaS. private hall of andipnca This
is where the wonderful peacock throne
once stood and at one time the ceiling was
Of solid silver, but the throne is now at Te-
heran and the silver was carried off in the
eighteenth century by the Marathas. All
great balls are more or less the same, and
we got home in the early dawn little dis
appointed and very tired and glad that it
was over.
Most Dazzling Of All.
So far the state arrival, with its gorgeous
procession Of the durbar, had been the
most thoroughly satisfactory Of the list for
the two weeks, and we could not persuade
ourselves that the procession Of native
chiefs retainers could possibly equal either
OF them. but Of all that we had already seen
at Delhi or ever had seen anywhere or
ever will see again that procession of re-
tanners Will remain the most wonderful,
dazzling, barbaric and enchantingly inter-
esting! 1t took place at the durbar amphi-
theater, which was packed to the roof and
as for describing it, 1t is an impossibity.
The program reads: Chief retinues' review
The procession of the chiefs retinues round
the durbar amphitheater will be in the fol-
lowing order: Bombay states, 20 irregular
horse, 120 infantry; Clutch elephant with
standard, 93 footmen with band, standards
and guns. IA irregular bodyguard 5 ca
parisoned horses and flag bearers, 20 men
In chain armor, 1 caparisoned "rath''
armed men on stills, Palkis with attend
ants and torch bearers, 81 Arab guards, 8
yr1,,r CT ot
standards and armed guards 70 footmen
bearing standards and emblems ele-
plants, As bodyguard, and so on through
out.
The Bombay states display was too
modern to be especially interesting, but did
very we'll to usher in the retainers of his
highness, the Rao of Clutch, and his son.
Kumar Shri Vijeraji The elephant with
the standard" huge creature was cover
ed with cloth of gold, silver bangles and
earrings clinked as he walked, and large