Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-09
Finest Modern City in India.


Jeypore is the best of all these towns. the
largest and most prosperous of the twenty
Rajput capitals. and is beyond all compare
son the finest modern city In India. 1t is
also the busiest Everybody seems to have
plenty to do, and plenty to spend. The
streets are as crowded and as busy as those
of London or New York with a busting
and stafwart race of men and women, hap
by and contented, and showing more ener-
gy than you often see in an oriental coun-
try. The climate is cool. dry and healthy.
The city stands upon a sandy and arid
plain, Loo feet above the sea, surrounded
by stony hills and wide wastes of desert
but even these natural disadvantages have
contributed TO its wealth and industries,
for the barren hills are filled with deposits
of fine clays. rare ores and cheap jewels
like garnets. carbuncles and agates, which
have furnished the people one of their most
profitab BILE trades. Out of this material they
make an enamel which is famous every
where and has been the source OF great
gain and fame. 1t is shipped in large guam
titles to Europe. but the greater part Is sold
in the markets of India.
Jeypore Is surrounded by a wall twenty
feet high and nine feet thick, built within
the last century, and. hence. almost in per-
feet condition. Indeed. the town. unlike
most OF the Indian cities, is without ruins,
and you have to ride five miles on the back
OF an elephant in order to see one. The
streets of Jeypore are all wide and we'll
paved. and laid out at exact angles Four
great thoroughfares Ill feet wide run at
equal intervals at right angles with each
other. All the other streets ffty-fiVe
feet wide and the alleys are twenty-eight
feet. Parks and public squares are laid
out with the same regularity, and the
houses are of uniform heights and after the
same pattern. The facades are almost fan
tastic. being covered profusely with stucco
and ginger bread work, so much that 1t
Is almost bewildering.
A.
mental balustrades that look like perfor-
ated marble. but are only nodded plaster:
the windows are filled with similar ma
terial: the doorways are usually arched and
protected with overhanging canopies, and
the doors are painted with pictures in brill
liant colors. The entire city has been
white washed bright rose color, every
house having almost the same tint, which
gives peculiar appearance. There is moth
ing else like IT in all the world. Many of
the outer walls are painted with pictures
of animals and birds, trees. pagodas and
other fantastic designs, and scenes like
those on the drop curtains of theaters.
which appear to have been done by I'M
skilled amateurs. and the whole effect-the
colors the ginger bread work and the tints
reminds you of the sugar table decora-
lions you sometimes see In confectionerS
windows at Christmas time. You wonder
that the entire city does not melt and run
together under the heat of the burning sun.
Brilliant Colors Worn.
The people wear colors even more brilliant
than those of their houses. and whichever
direction you look you see continual streams
passing up and down each broad highway
like animated rainbows, broken here and
there with trains of loaded camels. huge
elephants with fancy saddles on their
backs and half-naked Hindus astride their
heads, guiding them. This is the first place
We have found elephants used for business
purposes. but they seem to be quite nu-
merous-more numerous than horses-and
some OF them are covered with elaborate