The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-15
ORIENTAL
Dancing Girls for Birthday Celebrations
Few Theatres kite Flying.

Dancing Girls for Birthday Celebrations
Few Theatres kite Flytng.
Amusement in the capital Of Oudh ID not
particularly strenuous. For an Eastern
crowd the bazaar Is the inevitable centre
of attraction, "a free lounging place or
club, where you may meet your fellows
and exchange any ideas yeu may have
and any compliments o may think At to
bestow." Bazaar gossip takes the place Of
newspapers, and IL there are no billiard
saloons at Lucknow. 4at any shop you are
allowed to play sktttles with your neighbor's
character"
There are two or tire e theatres In Luck
now which attempt to give performances in
accord with Western ira additions. The dresses,
however, ca Us the Hinduism Repieu, are.
distinctly homogeneous, as they are always
the same for similar characters. For ex-
ample, the king wears the same robes and
the same CROWN, whether he takes the part
Of King Lear or Of King Hdr,shehandra,
or that Of the god Tndor in "Indar sabha.'
The scenery Is not at all elaborate, and the
feminine roles arc taken by boys. There
Is in existence a set Of professionals called
Bhands or Naggals, who obtained grants
Of land for their subsistence from the ancient
Indian dynasties. The writer from whom
I nave quoted gives US q sketch OF these
interesting survivals:
when a rich man wants to celebrate q
wedding. or a birthday. or the name day
Of q child, or other suspicious event In his
family he generally has n Of these men,
or a troupe Of them. come to perform at
night. The spectators would be his guests.
The hosts would ray for the entertainment
about Ell to ei0 for the whole troupe for the
evening. 1t would not be the only en-
tertainment.
sOther items on the programme would
be dances performed by professional dane
ing girls. The Indians consider it beneath
their dignity to dance themselves. The
performances OIL the professionals are often
OF a tedious character and generally 70 on
all night. The guests are not only those
invited by special request but anybody
who chooses to drop in. The dancing girls
also sing. The songs are like music hal.
son gs in character, and the dances a,e'
20 adjusted that they are appropriate to
the songs. The motions are slow and
dinifed, but dreamy and sensuous, The
arms and fingers, the twisting Of the wrists
and ankles, the Ian guorous manipulation Of
the head and the supple turnings Of the
waist n BODY al contribute 10 the general
effect"
other amusements in Lucknow include
wrestling, cock fighting. quail hghtibg G, kite
aying and card playing. The careS differ
from those in ordinary use in Europe.
The pack consists OF ninety-six cards OF
sight different oolors or suits. Bridge is
not vet In vogue in India. -sans les Anglais,-
DIS Pierre Lo,i has it, but ihess is verr popu-
lar. Kite flying is a fine art in Lucknow.
The strings are made as hard as steel wire
by being covered with a composition con-
tanning ground mica, and the kite flyers
object Ia to get his opponents strings so
entanRled in his own that with a saving
motion Of his hand he can sever the string:
10 Il considered the fair booty Of him who
piaka L. up. ---.,--..