The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1925-07-30

Races are strung out along the road
like chronological exhibits, but the con-
slant flow of life along this boulevard
of people is such that the various
stages in the transition, from the Tur-
ko-Iranians, whose handsome faces fill
the Kabul bazaar at Peshawar, to the
ngolo-Dravidians who dominate the
racial complex of cosmopolitan Cal
cutta, are difficult for the stranger to
detect.
Many Races and Tongues.
From the Pashto of Peshawar, which
a Persian can understand, one enters
the linguistic area of Lahnda, or West
ern PunJabi, with plenty of Kashmiri,
another of the Outer-Aryan tongues
heard in the RawalpindI bazaar Then
Punjabi. shading off to HIndustani, the
lingua franco of much larger region
than that where it Is common speech.
Eastern Hindi, Bihari, and Bengal com
plete the needs Of the man who would
thread the road from Peshawar to Cal
cutta and understand the general con-
versatlon throughout.
Along the whole road, one finds Hin
dus and Mohammedans in imposing
proportions. Between Lahore and
Delhi the Sikhs, with their military
bearing. Greek noses. and uncut hair,
reveal themselves in considerable nuna-
bers, and at Buddh Gaya the yellow
robe Of the Buddhist adds touch of
variety to the religious complex.
A book could be written about each
Of the cities and great geographical
features along midas Main street.
There is the Khyber pass, road to CEN
trail Asia. reeking with history and
romance, the military, political and
clinical key to India. Peshawar, at
its Indian end, is the first market for
the rich carpets from Bokhara and
Merv and Afghanistan; for bright
copper trays, sheer wells and scores of
other fascinating wares that come out
of the north.
Rawalpindi, little farther to the
east, is the gateway to charming
Kashmir and entrepot for It's shawls,
not so fine as those of old. but still
things of beauty. There is Lahore,
capital of the Punjab: and Amritsar,
whose carpets are known to all the
world and which is the Mecca and Je-
rusalem of the stately Sikhs.
When 1t comes to visitors, Delhi
stands in class by itself. Benares
Is religious edifice with running wa
ter laid on. The Mela ground at AL
lahabad is hive OF Hindu pilgrims
But Delhi attracts great numbers of
visitors whose interest is not in tenn
pie or mosque, but In the historical
buildings Of the fortress.
Where Hindus Prefer to DIE.
Beyond Delhi lies Agra of the wonder
full Tai Mahal, most beautiful Of the
worlds memorials; Allahabad, where
the sacred Ganges and almost equally
sacred Junna meet; and Benares.
From religious point of view Benares
is city of perpetual piety physically
1t Is a crescent waterfront on a filthy
stream backed by malodorous city.
The river front is lined with a success
sion Of CHATS or huge stairways, and
palaces which make 1t q vision of
beauty. But unfortunately Benares is
the favorite place for Hindus to die.
Thousands Of them go there for that
purpose and their half-charred bodies
are consigned to the waters Of the
Ganges.
After Lahore and Benares, after the
gay colors Of Amritsar and the dun
crowds of Allahabad. Calcutta is Of
little interest. %The docks TEEN with
life in spite of inaction resultant upon
the mystery Of foreign exchange
The district made Infamous by the
Black Hole is now as imposing with
solid-looking bank buildings as any Oc-
cidental financial district, and no more
so. Kalighat almost, but not quite, re-
minds one Of Benares. The theaters
almost, but not quite, recall Piccadiny
Circus or Times square. Yet Calcutta,
queen city of India. Is proud OF herself
Second City of the Empire" is a
phrase which is always left in type by
the Calcutta papers.