India revisited . ht hand used to be rangedin succession a sweetmeat shop, a dyers shed, atobacco-stall, and a store for the sale of purple andgreen glass bangles. We turn, and there they are, theold-established emporiums, about as large as a piano-case, son succeeding father in the usual Hindu fashion,so that he who comes in the same way after anotherquarter of a centurys absence will probably find thenext generation of Poona dealers keeping up in the sameabodes the same settled business. Here and there firehas destroyed some well-remembered building, and theouter quadrangle of my pleasant ol
India revisited . ht hand used to be rangedin succession a sweetmeat shop, a dyers shed, atobacco-stall, and a store for the sale of purple andgreen glass bangles. We turn, and there they are, theold-established emporiums, about as large as a piano-case, son succeeding father in the usual Hindu fashion,so that he who comes in the same way after anotherquarter of a centurys absence will probably find thenext generation of Poona dealers keeping up in the sameabodes the same settled business. Here and there firehas destroyed some well-remembered building, and theouter quadrangle of my pleasant old Vishrambaghlies, alas! in ruins. We enter, and pass up thefamiliar stairs into the familiar diwan-Tchana, itswindows looking out as ever through the carved teak-columns and arches of Hindu grace, upon the palmsand plantains stUl waving over the same stone the College walls the same potter, so itseems, is banging a gindi into conventional shape, whowas at work upon it in 1861 ; and the same women. THE GHAUTS AND POONA. 75 —one would almost say—are beating their wet clothesupon the slabs by the well, or pouring lotas of waterover their comely bodies. An old gatekeeper of theCollege—not so much older than he used to look, not-withstanding these many years—makes many salaams,and Sadhoo presently brings up other people of thequarter who recognise the former Principal. Agood many well-remembered faces have, however,quitted this world of illusions for Swarga. KrishnaShastri is dead, Kero Punt is dead, Baba Gokhley isdead! The list is long and sad, but the quiet, happylife of my little quarter of Aitwar-Pet goes on, andthings are generally pretty well with everybody. Then we visit the grand new College, which hasreplaced that ancient Mahratta Palace where I taughtmy Brahmans and Parsees; and find, with a certainfeeling of envy, mixed with satisfaction, Gunpati, theGod of Wisdom, much better lodged now than in thedays when education was beginning in the Deccan
Size: 1203px × 2077px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidcu31924022984136, bookpubl
