Notes on diaries of Raja Ravi Varma

T uesda:J 8th januar:J I 895

In the morning at 9 H.H. paid a visit to Ms Justice John Jardine at the Byculla Club and he kindly invited H.H. to go and see the High Court one day. We had a drive in the evening to the Fort and on our way home took with us from Dawood Bhai's the embroidered coat and trousers he had prepared.

[No entry between 8th and 14th January 1895]

Monda:J I +th januar:J I 895

In the evening at 9.30 there was a singing party to which a large number of H.H's friends had [been] invited. The singing which was Hindustani was excellent and continued till 4 in the morning. Everyone enjoyed the entertainment heartily. Among those present were Messers Govardhan Das Khatu, Jugmohan Das, Dharmsey and Narotam Morarji and others.

T uesda:J J 5thjanuar:J 1895

Notwithstanding the previous day's vigil we went to the Tivoli Theatre8 to see 'The School for [sic] [of] Scandal' performed. The acting was splendid and called for the loud applause from the audience. Sir Peter and Lady [+++] and Charles [+++] were capital.

[No entry for 16th January 1895]

Thursda:J 17th januar:J J 895

Messers Dharmsey and Narotam Morarji invited us to his house the China Bay a beautiful building to see a novel performance in which first an earthen pot was transformed into a living human head which again turned into a glass fish pond and so on. The illusion was startling.

F rida:J J 8th januar:J J 895 Left Bombay for the Charni Road station by the Mail at 9. Some four friends had been at the station to see us off. Mr Jugmohan Das met us at .the Grant Road Station. After midnight the cold was intense. Got up at 5 and made the necessary preparations to alight at Baroda.

Saturda:J 19th januar:J J 895

We reached Baroda early in the morning at 6.30 and H.H was received by the officers who represented the Durbar9 heartily and, escorted by five sowars drove to [+++] our residence. In the afternoon we visited the Public Offices and the Laxmi Vilas Palace where one can spend hours in admiring the architecture, paintings, statues and furniture. After a drive through the Public Gardens returned home. Supper being over we witnessed the nautch by the Tanjore Girlsl who draw a salary of Rs 500 per mensem. The nautch which was very good lasted till 11.

5unda~ 20th januar~ 1895

At day break drove to Mohanpura to see a cheetah hunt. II We had to drive in bullock tongas12 for nearly four miles to reach the jungle where we saw large herds of deer grazing. The cheetahs or leopards which were driven in carts before us were let loose and they made a few bounds after a herd; but the deer were too fast for them. This was what we had really wanted. While we got an idea of the sport, we were saved the pain of seeing the innocent creatures killed by the cheetahs. Visited the splendid palace and gardens of Mohanpura. The Gaikwar13 returned in the morning from Europe.

Monday~ 2 J st januar~ 1895

In the afternoon at 3 we visited the silver and gold guns,14 Palace and the State Jewels which it is said have been estimated at 10 crore of rupees. Next the Shri Sayaji Library was visited. At 4 punctually H.H. paid a visit to the Maharaja by appointment. H.H. The Gaikwar was very plainly dressed in white and had an emerald necklace round his neck. The conversation which lasted for 20 or 25 minutes was very pleasant. At about 5 H.H. called on the Resident Col. U.] Biddulph who said he was shortly retiring. Returned home after seeing H.H's Saloon Carriages.

Tuesday~ 22nd january~ J 895

We were up at 5 and drove to the station at 6.15, but on arrival there learnt that the train would be late by an hour. At 7.30 started for Ahmedabad which was reached at 10.30. In the afternoon visited Jama Masjid,passed through the [+++] and Bhadur Citadel to the [+++] Bridge over Sabramati. Next drove to Shah Alum the tomb of a saint and then to the Kankaria Tank with a pretty garden in the middle. Ahmedabad is a busy town and market next to Bombay.

Wednesday~ 2)rdjanuar~ J 895

In the morning at 9 we paid a visit to the Jain Templel5 built at a cost of 10 lakhs of rupees by the father of J aising [+++] the architecture is purely Hindu and extremely beautiful. There is a large Jain population in the town. Next went to the factory owned by the same gentlemen where beautiful wood carving is turned out. A certain gentlemen [sic] on seeing our thick woolen overcoats and cashmere head dresses jokingly observed to another that we appeared to be bent on a Himalayan expedition. Left Ahmedabad at 3 p.m. for Ajmere.

Thursda~ 24thjanuar~ 1895

Passed a very chilly night in the train. Arrived at Ajmere a quarterI to twelve. Narsing Das and Partha Sarathi Iyengar received us on I behalf of Seth Lachman Das.16 We got a pretty bungalow for residence. At 3 visited the Mayo College I? Anna-Sagar and Dargah18 [+++] the chief sights in the town. The College is an exceedingly beautiful edifice and the Dargah was equally beautiful. There was very little water in the AnaSagar.

Frida~ 25thjanuar~ 1895

In the morning the thermometer stood at 44 Cet [F]. 7 started for
Pushkar seven miles off. A large lake as sacred as the Ganges and a temple
of Brahma are the things that attract large crowds of pilgrims every year.

Returned home at 12.30. In the evening visited a Jain temple the interior of which was made of coloured glass joined together.

Saturday~ 26th januar~ 1 895

At 12 noon started for Jeypure by [+++]. With the exception of a few green spots the train passed over the coast [coarse] land abounding with peacock and deer. Reached Jeypure at 5.35 and drove in Government carriages to Rambag a beautiful garden and bungalow two miles from the city. All arrangements had been made for our comfort. The cold was less than at Ajmere.

Sunday~ 27thjanuar~ 1895

At about 2 we drove through the principal streets of the town to the Ramnivas Bagh and visited the Albert Hall and Museum which contains a large collection. Then started for the Ghaut Gate, the old fortifications in the valley or pass between the hills, which surrounded the city. One meets peacocks every where. The streets of the town are broad and straight with fountain where it is crossed by another [sic].

Monda~ 28th januar~ 1 895

At noon started for Amber the old palace of the Rajas in a beautiful valley. We rode on elephants part of the five miles. On our return visited the new palace which is extensive. The front view from the garden is imposing, though there is very little worth seeing in the interior. There was band in the garden [sic] which we enjoyed for a short time.

T uesday~ 29thjanuar~ J 895

Driving through the principal streets of the town in the afternoon reached the station at 5. We had to wait for half an hour before the train arrived. The guard in charge of it was from Southern India and spoke a little Tamil.

Embroidered coat and trousers from Daood Bhai. a singing programme till 4 am with eminent - industrialists? watching School for Scandal which has 'capital' performances. Illusions at China Bay, house of other industrialists? earthern pot to human head to glass bowl with fish. left bombay for charney road, thence to Baroda, cold night.. got up early to alight at Baroda.. at Baroda, picked up in five- carriages? met by officers- noting such things, comforting- what is the meaning of a diary? comfort to self? then to the Laxmi Vilas Palace, then to the public gardens and then the nautch.

Thursda~ 24thjanuar~ 1895 Passed a very chilly night in the train. Arrived at Ajmere at quarter to twelve. Narsing Das and Partha Sarathi Iyengar received us on

behalf of Seth Lachman Das.16 We got a pretty bungalow for residence. At 3

visited the Mayo College I? Ana-Sagar and Dargah18 [+++] the chief sights in the town. The College is an exceedingly beautiful edifice and the Dargah was equally beautiful. There was very little water in the AnaSagar.

Frida~ 25thjanuar~ 1895

In the morning the thermometer stood at 44 Cet [F]. 7 started for
Pushkar seven miles off. A large lake as sacred as the Ganges and a temple
of Brahma are the things that attract large crowds of pilgrims every year.

Returned home at 12.30. In the evening visited a Jain temple the interior of which was made of coloured glass joined together.

Saturda~ 26th januar~ 1 895

At 12 noon started for Jeypure by [+++]. With the exception of a few green spots the train passed over the coast [coarse] land abounding with peacock and deer. Reached Jeypure at 5.35 and drove in Government carriages to Rambag a beautiful garden and bungalow two miles from the city. All arrangements had been made for our comfort. The cold was less than at Ajmere.

Sunda~ 27thjanuar~ 1895

At about 2 we drove through the principal streets of the town to the Ramnivas Bagh and visited the Albert Hall and Museum which contains a large collection. Then started for the Ghaut Gate, the old fortifications in the valley or pass between the hills, which surrounded the city. One meets peacocks every where. The streets of the town are broad and straight with fountain where it is crossed by another [sic].

Monday~ 28th january~ 1 895

At noon started for Amber the old palace of the Rajas in a beautiful valley. We rode on elephants part of the five miles. On our return visited the new palace which is extensive. The front view from the garden is imposing, though there is very little worth seeing in the interior. There was band in the garden [sic] which we enjoyed for a short time.

T uesda~ 29thjanuar~ J 895

Driving through the principal streets of the town in the afternoon reached the station at 5. We had to wait for half an hour before the train arrived. The guard in charge of it was from Southern India and spoke a little Tamil. We to see monkeys and tortoises fighting for grams and channu.30 The monkeys

had the audacity to ride on the tortoises and pick up floating grams.

Monda~ +th F ebruar~ I 895

At noon went to Govardhan 13 miles off to see the famous hill which Krishna is said to have raised on his finger to shield the GOpas31 from rain. Really there was no hill but only a low rock in the middle of a tank called 'Manasa Ganga'. There is a very poor temple on the rock which they say is a very old one.

T uesda~ 5th F ebruar~ I 895

Spent the whole day in-doors as His Highness did not feel quite well, and yet our kind host had arranged for amusements. A number of men who were celebrating the Holi came singing and dancing to the sound of big drums and cymbals. We next saw a wrestling match. At 10 o'clock at night we went to the station and slept in the reserved carriages which were to take us to Agra next mormng.

Wednesda~ 6th Februar~ 1895

At 6 Seth Lachman Das came to the station to see us off. We reached Agra at 9.30 and were received by Seth Saheb's [+++] and drove to his bungalow on the very brink of the broad Jamuna. In the afternoon visited first the tomb of Etmudud-dowlla [ltmad-ud-daulah] with very delicate carving. The Tajthe most wonderful building in the world was next visited. There is nothing so grand enchanting [sic] as the Taj from the outer gate with the rows of cypresses. Returned home through the cantonment and native town.

Thursda~ 7th F ebruar~ I 895

Early in the morning we drove to the [+++] Sikandra Tomb32 five miles from the city. This is the last resting place of the great Akbar and therefore unusually interesting. It is built of red sand-stone inlaid with white marble. In the afternoon we paid a visit to the 'Fort' which contains the marble palaces of the Emperors. The Moti Masjid is the most beautiful in the Fort being entirely of white marble. The Dewani Khas [Diwan-i-Khas]33 the private bathing places of the Sultans are all admirable. We saw the subterranean cellars which leads to [+++].

F rida~ 8th F ebruar~ 1895

In the morning drove to Ram Bagh which belonged [+++] [to] the Mogul Emperors. There is nothing at present worthy of a visit in it. It is on the bank of the Jamuna. The Prince took a few photographs of Etmud-ud-Dowlla [ltmad ud-daulah]34 which was at the same time being photographed by a party of )+ Raja Ravi Varma: F ortrait at an Artist