The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-02-18
INDIA
Continued from Page 3D.
THE MOGUL SPENDTHRIFT.


There are many reminders of the
Incompatible style that the Mogul
maintained His mirror bath and
palace of Illusions are fairly well pre-
served, and the gigantic checker-board
| where he and his cronies played with
| female slaves for pawns can still be
seen. The walls of the harem contain
little jewel pockets just large enough
| to admit a lady's hand. When they
! were in use these tiny vaults We're
| lined with velvet and contained trim
| kets that cost fortunes.
| Shah Jehan's greatest extravaganza
| was in building tomb for his wife.
| This structure, called the Tai Mahal,
| is conceded to be the finest creation
| of its kind ever wrought by man. 1t
| is built of the finest marble inlaid with
| jewels. The material and workman
| ship are exquisite and it's dimensions
are truly Titanic. 1t is easy to be-
lieve that forty kinds of carnelian were
used in making one small flower, and
that every verse of the Koran is in
laid on the walls.
The interior of the great dome is
perfect sounding board and clearly
echoes the minutest tone. This SUI
vantage by moonlight, when it's grace
full lines blend perfectly. 1t took TO-
600 men seventeen years to build the
Tai Mahal, and it's cost would have
beggared it's builder had he paid for
either the material or the labor AS
it was he spent millions to provide
enough food to give his hapless army
of slaves sufficient strength to keep
at hpir ha
Tai Mahal will doubtless remain the
finest structure of its kind in all the
world because no one in this age would
hardly dare to waste so much money
for a monument to family pride or
personal vanity.
DELHI IS SPECTACULAR
Delhi has much to claim the atten-'
ton of the visitor in India. It's great
tower is one of the marvels of Asia,
and its ruins are numerous enough
to keep the student OF history busy
for days It's lengthy, populous ba-
zaar has been the scene of many brutal
putcheries, the ruthless Nadir Shah
having left hundred thousand victims
in his path when he came to steal the
gem-encrusted Peacock Throne and
the world famous Kohinoor diamond.
Delhi also has capacious and strik-
ing mosque where fifty thousand
Worshipers have congregated at one
time. Among the treasures of this
mosque is a red hair from the beard
OF Mohammed. Delhi will best be re-
membered by the reader as the scene
OF the great Durbar, when the present
King Of England was proclaimed En-
perOr of India by the most gorgeous
and costly state ceremonial ever held.
1t should be understood that any
single article on the sights of India
must at best be incomplete. It is a
continent in itself, affording almost as
many contrasts and fncongruities, it
may safely be said, as all other con-
tlnents combined. When the journey
through it is completed one is almost
dazed by the mass of impressions re-
corded by the way. There fingers the
strldent clamor of the bazaars and the
pleading of the beggars; .
gfotesque camel wagons and lumber
ing state elephants continue to pass,
and gaudy nautch girls shuttle their ,
dance in the dusty streets
JIle remembers the sleek, lazy cattle
1omplacently switching flies in the
shade of the temples, and the mud
novels OF the poor people who do not
are so Well. Lastly, there is the POM
pous. self-satisffed Englishman, master
OF the land and guardian of the peo-
pie destiny-he may be working out
the salvation Of his subjects. but he
seems always TO be playing tennis and
taking his ease
FREDERICK ]. HAsKIN.