The sun had just set, a violet haze6 was rising and enwrapping every object. Fires were being lighted in the villages on the road to the holy place. Tom-toms were rattling7 in the distance,[Pg 115] and nearer at hand a vina, gently touched by an invisible player, murmured a tune8 on three notes.
The temples were already closed, but my servant, Abibulla, diverted the attention of the gatekeeper, and I stole unseen into the outer precincts.
Within the gateway9, carved all over with foliage10 and rosettes, a footway, paved with bright mosaic11, leads to the interior of the temple. All along a corridor, enormous prancing12 horses, mounted by men-at-arms, support the roof which is deeply carved all over, and at the foot of these giants a sacred tank reflects the sky. In front of us were gaps of black shadow, and far, far away, lamps, shrouded13 in incense14, were twinkling behind the gratings.
Figures draped in pale muslins brushed past us, hastening to the door. Flower-sellers, in one of the arcades16, were hurrying to finish their garlands; and suddenly, close before us—a mass that looked as if it were part of the temple itself—an enormous elephant started into sight, passed on and vanished in the darkness.
In the depths of little recesses17 the lamps twinkled feebly before images crowned with flowers. At the entrances to shrines19 little glass lamps, like a mysterious fairy illumination, followed the lines[Pg 116] of the arabesques20, sparkling like glowworms, without lighting21 up the passages which remained dark, and in which, in fact, we finally lost ourselves.
Near the statues, which are placed in a row close to the wall, other statues, finer, slenderer, and more graceful22, stood before the pedestals, anointing the stone with some oil which in time soaks in and blackens it, or else hanging lanterns up over the divinities. These were the temple servants, wearing nothing but the langouti tied round their loins; they either shuffle23 about barefoot, or remain motionless in rapt ecstasy24 before the little niches25 where the idols26 grin or scowl28 among branches of roses and amaryllis.
In one brilliantly-lighted hall, priests, dressed in long yellow dalmatics, were adoring idols, elephants, Anantas; and from an enormous gold lotus sprang the Mandeel, rising through the dome29, its tip standing30 in the outer air to bear the white flag that is hoisted31 on high festivals. At the entrance to this shrine18 parrots in cages suddenly set up a hostile outcry as I passed them, and were only pacified32 by the coming of a priest, who gave them some food. The clatter33, however, had attracted other Brahmins; one of them desired me to leave, "and[Pg 117] at once." I declined to obey, so he sent for the elephant who does duty as police, to turn me out.
And as the priests knew that the beast would need no help they again left me to myself. Up came the elephant at a brisk trot34, flourishing his trunk and hooting35; within two yards of me he stopped and stood still. He accepted a four-anna piece that I offered him, and handed it up for his driver, but finding no one on his back he put the coin back into my pocket, and sniffing36 all over my coat found a biscuit, ate it, and then quietly went back to his stable.
A muffled37 sound of instruments, mingling38 in confusion in the myriad39 echoes, came dying on my ear, hardly audible. A gleam of light flashed in the corridor and then went out. Then some lights seemed to be coming towards me, and again all was gloom. An orchestra of bagpipes40, of kemanches and darboukhas sounded close by me, and then was lost in the distance, and the phantasmagoria of lights still went on. At last, at the further end of the arcade15 where I was standing, two men raised green-flamed torches at the end of long poles, followed by two drummers and musicians playing on bagpipes and viols. Children squatting41 on the ground lighted coloured fire that[Pg 118] made a bright blaze, and died out in stifling42 smoke, shrouding43 the priests—a cloud hardly tinted44 by the torches.
A golden mass, an enormous shrine chased all over and starred with tapers45, now came forward, borne by a score of naked men. Against the gold background, in a perfect glory of diamonds and pearls, sat Vishnu, decked out with flowers and jewels, his head bare with a huge brilliant in his forehead.
The music played louder, light flashed out on all sides, the god stood still, and bayadères performed their worship. With slow gestures, their hands first hollowed and held to the brow, then their arms flung out, they bowed before the idol27 with a snake-like, gliding46 motion, while the music played very softly and the lights burnt faintly. The nauchnees, in dark muslin drapery spangled with gold, bangles on their arms, their necks, and their ankles, and rings on their toes, swayed as they danced, and swung long, light garlands of flowers which hung about their necks. And there were flowers in their hair, in a bunch on each side of the head, above two gold plates from which hung strings47 of beads48. The flying, impalpable gauze looked like a swirl49 of mist about their limbs.
[Pg 119]
Very gradually the measure quickened, the pitch grew shriller, and with faster and freer movements the bayadères were almost leaping in a sort of delirium50 produced by the increasing noise, and the constantly growing number of lights.
Then, in a blaze of coloured fire, a fortissimo of music, and a whirlwind of drapery, they stopped exhausted51 in front of the idol. The lights were put out, the tom-toms were the only sound, and the procession moved on, escorting the shrine which glittered for some time yet, till it disappeared at an angle, leaving the temple in darkness just tinted blue by the moon.
A different scene indeed next day, with none of the magnificence of yesterday, was the temple of magical lights. There was a dense52 crowd of shouting and begging pilgrims. Along the pyramidal roofs, as at Srirangam, there were rows of painted gods, but in softer and more harmonious53 hues54. Over the tank for ablutions was a balcony decorated in fresco55, representing in very artless imagery the marriage of Siva and Parvati. The couple are seen holding hands under a tree; he a martial56 figure, very upright, she looking silly, her lips pursed, an ingénue. In another place Siva sits with his[Pg 120] wife on his knees, she has still the same school-girl expression. Finally, on the ceiling, is their apotheosis57: they are enthroned with all the gods of Ramayana around them, and she looks just the same. The red and green, subdued58 by the reflected light from the water, were almost endurable.
Immediately on entering we were in the maze59 of vaults60, sanctuaries61, great halls and arcades, where stall-keepers sell their goods, priests keep school, and flower-sellers wander. Statues, repeated in long rows, lead up to temples all alike, of a bewildering uniformity of architecture and identical decoration.
Elephants, freshly painted, go past begging.
Making my way among the too numerous gods in relief against the overwrought walls heavy with carving62, I came to a wonderful balcony where, in broken cages, I found the parrots that had betrayed me, and among them an exquisite63 pale yellow cockatoo of great rarity.
One after another I made my salaam64 to Siva, seated on a peacock; to Ganesa, looking calm and knowing; to Parvati, riding a bull; to Siva again, this time pinning a dragon to the ground with a fork, a writhing65 reptile66 with gaping67 jaws68 and outspread wings; the same god again, with a child in[Pg 121] his arms; and again, holding his leg like a musket69 up against his shoulder with one of his four hands, the other three lifting a bull, a sceptre, and a trophy70 of weapons above his head.
In a central space was a hideous71 rajah, a benefactor72, with his six wives, all gaudily73 coloured with jewels in coloured paper stuck on to the images, and all kneeling in attitudes of idiotic74 ecstasy, doubly absurd under the daubing of vermilion and indigo75. These were greatly admired by my servant, a convinced connoisseur76 in Indian art. Further on we saw, on the ceiling of a polychrome corridor, monsters carved to fit the shape of squared beams ending in a griffin's or a bird's head.
In a dirty stable, strewn with withered77 plants, stood some forlorn, sickly-looking beasts, the sacred bulls of Madura.
Here again the cars of the gods were neglected in the open air, and one of them, older than the rest, was fast being transfigured into a pyramid of shrubs78 and flowers.
Two men were quarrelling; one had robbed the other. The dispute went on endlessly, and no one, not the priest even, had succeeded in pacifying79 them. At last an elephant was fetched; he came up without being noticed by the disputants, and trumpeted[Pg 122] loudly just behind them. The thief, convinced that the animal in its wisdom had discovered his crime, took to his heels and fled.
In the afternoon, while it was still broad daylight and very bright outside, it was already dusk under the arches of the temple, and bats were flitting about.
And under an arcade priests were hanging the shrine with wreaths of pink and yellow flowers, in preparation for its nocturnal progress, while an old woman, all alone, was bathing in the tank, with much splashing and noise of waters.
The old palace of the kings is now yellow-ochre, coated with plaster and lime-wash over the splendid antique marble walls.
The rajah's sleeping-room has at one end a dais ascended80 by three steps; here the sovereign's bed used to be spread; and here, now, the judges of the Supreme81 Court have their seats. In the middle of the room was a confused array of benches and tables, and against the walls, also washed with yellow, hung a series of portraits of bewigged worthies82.
From the roof, consisting of terraces between cupolas, there is a view of many temples glorified83 in the golden sunset, and nearer at hand stand ten[Pg 123] imposing84 columns, very tall—the last remaining vestiges85 of the rajah's elephant-house.
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1
strands
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| n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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2
scorched
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦 | |
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oasis
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| n.（沙漠中的）绿洲，宜人的地方 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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8
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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mosaic
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| n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的 | |
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prancing
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| v.（马）腾跃( prance的现在分词 ) | |
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shrouded
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| v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密 | |
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incense
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| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
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arcade
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| n.拱廊；(一侧或两侧有商店的)通道 | |
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arcades
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| n.商场( arcade的名词复数 )；拱形走道（两旁有商店或娱乐设施）；连拱廊；拱形建筑物 | |
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recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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shrines
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| 圣地，圣坛，神圣场所( shrine的名词复数 ) | |
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arabesques
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| n.阿拉伯式花饰( arabesque的名词复数 )；错综图饰；阿拉伯图案；阿拉贝斯克芭蕾舞姿（独脚站立，手前伸，另一脚一手向后伸） | |
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lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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shuffle
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| n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走 | |
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ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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niches
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| 壁龛( niche的名词复数 )； 合适的位置[工作等]； （产品的）商机； 生态位（一个生物所占据的生境的最小单位） | |
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idols
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| 偶像( idol的名词复数 )； 受崇拜的人或物； 受到热爱和崇拜的人或物； 神像 | |
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idol
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| n.偶像，红人，宠儿 | |
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scowl
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| vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容 | |
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dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pacified
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| 使（某人）安静( pacify的过去式和过去分词 )； 息怒； 抚慰； 在（有战争的地区、国家等）实现和平 | |
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33
clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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34
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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35
hooting
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| （使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的现在分词 )； 倒好儿； 倒彩 | |
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36
sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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37
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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38
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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39
myriad
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| adj.无数的；n.无数，极大数量 | |
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40
bagpipes
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| n.风笛；风笛( bagpipe的名词复数 ) | |
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41
squatting
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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42
stifling
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| a.令人窒息的 | |
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43
shrouding
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| n.覆盖v.隐瞒( shroud的现在分词 )；保密 | |
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44
tinted
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| adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词 | |
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45
tapers
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| （长形物体的）逐渐变窄( taper的名词复数 )； 微弱的光； 极细的蜡烛 | |
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46
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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47
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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49
swirl
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| v.(使)打漩，(使)涡卷；n.漩涡，螺旋形 | |
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50
delirium
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| n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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51
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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52
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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53
harmonious
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| adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的 | |
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54
hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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55
fresco
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| n.壁画；vt.作壁画于 | |
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56
martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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apotheosis
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| n.神圣之理想；美化；颂扬 | |
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58
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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59
maze
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| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
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60
vaults
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| n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴 | |
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sanctuaries
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| n.避难所( sanctuary的名词复数 )；庇护；圣所；庇护所 | |
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carving
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| n.雕刻品，雕花 | |
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63
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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64
salaam
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| n.额手之礼，问安，敬礼；v.行额手礼 | |
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65
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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reptile
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| n.爬行动物；两栖动物 | |
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67
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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68
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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69
musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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70
trophy
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| n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品 | |
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71
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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72
benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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73
gaudily
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| adv.俗丽地 | |
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74
idiotic
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| adj.白痴的 | |
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75
indigo
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| n.靛青，靛蓝 | |
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76
connoisseur
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| n.鉴赏家，行家，内行 | |
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77
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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78
shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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79
pacifying
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| 使（某人）安静( pacify的现在分词 )； 息怒； 抚慰； 在（有战争的地区、国家等）实现和平 | |
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80
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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81
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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82
worthies
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| 应得某事物( worthy的名词复数 )； 值得做某事； 可尊敬的； 有（某人或事物）的典型特征 | |
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83
glorified
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| 美其名的，变荣耀的 | |
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84
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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85
vestiges
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| 残余部分( vestige的名词复数 )； 遗迹； 痕迹； 毫不 | |
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