Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-31
.LOvEL|ES1 8f SITES
A City Hard to- Reach and
Comparatively Unknown.
RIDING IN yAassTONGA
SMALL, THIN PONIES THE PRO-
PELL1Na POWER.
Seeing the Temples and Palaces Bathed
in Sunshine and Then
by Moonlight.
RIDING IN gAassTONGA
Written for The Evening Star.

to get at and does not encourage foreign
visitors. 1t is the residence Of the Maha-
rama Sarap Sing, who Is a fine man, care
full of the welfare of his people, and besides
being their king is the representative OF
their gods, and their high priest. We had
been told not to by any chance miss going
to Oodeypore, but we had been unable to
find out anything about the accommodation
there for travellers and had not the faintest
idea where we were to spend the night Of
our arrival. The beautiful little station
where we sleepily descended from our COM
Portable compartment In the train was
covered by Towering vines and surrounded
by lovely gardens. but not carriage could
we find to take us to the town two miles
further on. Finally. however. About, our
bearer, came up with radiant countenance
and said: please, sir, two tongaS here,
sir, one for ladies and one for luggage"
We knew not what tonga might be.
but fastened forth and found at the back
Of the station two remarkab le-looking small
traps with back-to-back seats, huge wheels
which looked as If they were on the point
Of coming off. and covers, or roofs of calico,
with large pink roses on magenta ground.
They were drawn by pairs of small, excru-7
ciatingly thin pones, which made us mis-
cradle to see. but which trotted rapidly the
whole of the two miles, the tonga rocking
the rOOI on the verge OF 1alnng OF and we
in the back holding on for dear life, our
pith hats clashing together as we swayed
from side to side. We had blessed res
pite Of a moment when, about half way
from the station. we were Joined by a
swarthy native who got silently into the
empty seat next the driver and settled his
portly figure comfortably for the drive. We
demanded at once to know by what right
our driver took on another passenger and
were answered by the portly gentleman
with great modesty Of demeanor that he
was the owner of the hotel; and we were
so relieved to think that there was a hotel
that we sighed contentediy and said moth
Ing more. We drove past some very fine
tombs and under huge trees until at turn
In the road we came to aview which was
SO beautiful and so unusual that we felt for
moment as If we were dreaming, SO un-
real did 1t appear. Far off in the distance
the red glow Of the sunrise turning 1t the
fa1ntest pink, stood a cityLt How can 1t be
described! A pile Of noble marble palaces
on hilltop. the glimmer, of a lake beneath
and the outline of mountains ibeyond. 1t is
indescribable and grew in beauty the more
we saw of it-snowy white in the midday
run. rose color in the sunset. and turned to
pearl by the light of the nearly full moon,
Silent and stately and mysterious always.
Hotel on a ELL.
The hotel proved to be a stwo-story dak
bungalow. with the usual huge rooms, with
their very high ceilings and attendant bath
and dressing rooms. and was situated in
the exact place for d., a .hnl top with
broad plain dotted by trees separating 1t
from the town, very ancient do1ned
tomb at one side and the mass OF marble
palaces in the distance: It Is necessary to
appeal to the British resident for permits
to visit the palace and lake at Oodeypore.
and he proved, We were glad to find,
most amlable person, putting his carriage
at our disposal for the rest or the time We
were there and providing guides and boats
for the lake. The city is surrounded by
an old Fashioned wall. with a moat and
some beautiful gates, and is like all east
ern towns except Jaipur, small and crowd
ed, with narrow streets and sharp corners,
with tiny shops and picturesque natives,
the streets full Of donkeys, buffalo, camels
and goats, and now and again an elephant
who entirely blocks the way. The houses
are gaily decorated and carved, and here
and there in a wall is shrine to Hanu-
man, the monkey god, which Is always
smeared with red. The palace has i'm
mense entrance court, where the state Cle-
plants are kept. the great creatures NOV
ing restlessly about on their marble pave
ment and swaying continually from one
huge foot to the other. .
To get to the upper part of the palace
was difficult matter. for the stairways
were so narrow and dark and the marble
stairs SO slippery that 1t became nearly
a matter OF life and death to ascend them:
From balcony high up, with lacy, pierced
marble balustrades, We looked down on
the brilliantly colored little town, with its
brilliantly clothed inhabitants, its donkeys
painted pink and red, poor, wee creatures.
and even its builocks tinted In spots and
with hoofs and horns a brilliant red.
From the other side of the I.alace the
view was out over the lake, with its small
and palm trees. and on toward the hills. on
the highest OF which was a whIts temple.
Later on we were taken down to the
boats which lay moored at the foot of the
still lake. our faces toward, the beautiful
mass of white marble of the palaces which
rise directly out OF the water. ~>~a1-,.->
The Simple Grandeur. 4:.,>S.
One feels that one has either dreamed It
all or that 1t is memory OF heaven or
something. for 1t has in some way, a faInil-
lar look about it, and It seems 10 have
been there through all ages, the same
calm. simple. quiet grandeur, resting silent
ly on the edge Of the blue lake. AS the
resident had told us that we must nsts miss
seeing the pigs fed, we were taken first to
the far side OF the lake. where one goes up
q jungle path and finds ones way inside
marble court with arcades and q beautiful
tower on one side. -
From the balustrade the pigs" are fed,
and we found the pigs to be a great COM
pany Of f,ideous Wild boar preserved for
the Maharana-huge creatures which come
every day at the same hour to be fed, and
are one of the sights OF oadsypors From
the tower there u.s., besfdeSSthe beautiful
views of lake and palaceA &aa view OF a
very large and magnifice8N tiger. kept In a
pit down below and SO N6eA fec that he
looked aniiability itself. SsE%
He was to be kept there until the visit OF
the viceroy some time RferNon, when he
was to try his strength against the might
and guile of a wild bpa<.,We have been
told since then that he absolutely refused
to nght. and SO leopa I'd was brought to
the contest and almost fastaptly killed by
the hinge tus3ys Of the hofrid boar.
The next two hours wesaHnt In drifting
about the lake. first in the sunset and then
by the light OF the moon past the small
marble palace on an islandIewhere Shah
Jehan. the famous builder ef-the Tai. took
refuge from his father displeasure, land
where the marble towersN6E from grove
OF banana trees and aRAlshaded by tall
and feathery date palma down past the
great mass of marble of .A6- palaces now
pearly white in the moonAgAt, and SO on
to the far end OF the second lake, where
we. found our carriage. and drove silently
back to the hotel.
Garden and Temple.
There is fine public garden at Ooodey-
pore. and the Hindoo temple in the town
is one OF the beet In India, with its datlo
of eiephants' heads in deep relief: but. as
at Ajmere, the natives are not especially
friendly, and one is not allowed to go very
"a foy-n IA