Bombay to Colombo (Ceylon)
A FIVE WEEKS' TOUR, INCLUDING BOMBAY, AHMEDABAD,
JEYPORE, DELHI, AGRA, CAWNPUR, LUCKNOW, BENARES,
DARJEELING, CALCUTTA, MADRAS, TANJORE,
TRICHINOPOLY AND MADURA.
| 1st day 2d 3d 4th 5gh |
Bombay. Travelers from Europe to India usually land at Bombay, the majestic British commercial metropolis of India. It has a population of about a million, with good hotels, club houses, large open squares and fine drives. The Victoria Station, with its government offices, is considered the finest of the European buildings in India. On Malabar Hill, the fashionable residential quarter, are the Parsee Towers of Silence. An excursion by launch to the Caves of Elephanta, also to the Caves of Montpezin ( twenty-two miles by rail to Borivli) should be made. A trip to the famous Ellora Caves will require four days, but the time will not be misspent. |
| 6th day 7th |
Ahmedabad (nine hours by rail from Bombay). Once the greatest city in western India, and still beautiful and picturesque; on the Saber- muttee River. Its mosques and other buildings architecturally are among the finest in India. For a dozen miles around Ahmedabad the country is full of interesting ruins. Dada Hari's Well and his Mosque are remarkable structures well worth a special visit, and an enjoyable drive may be made to Sarkhej . |
| 8th day 9th 10th |
Jeypore (sixteen hours by rail from Ahmedabad) , the most important city of the independent native states of Rajputana, is a progressive, well- laid-out and beautiful city, lying at the base of some bluffs. In the center of the city are the Rajah's Palace, mews, elephant stables, etc. A very interesting excursion is made to the ancient city of Amber, five miles distant. |
| 11th day 12th 13th |
Delhi (eight^hours by rail from Jeypore), the ancient and latest capital of the great Moguls. Inside the Fort are the Pearl Mosque and the Diwan-i-Khas. The Great Mosque, Jama Mus- jid, is one of the largest in India, and should be visited during prayer time. Outside the city on the north is the now historic Ridge, the British position during the siege in 1857; and a few miles south of the city are Humayun's Tomb and the Kootub Minar. |
| 14th day 15th 16th |
Agra (four hours by rail from Delhi) . The beautiful one-time capital of the later Moguls. The private apartments of Shah Jehan (inside the Fort), the Pearl Mosque and the Taj Mahal, are amongst the daintiest examples of the arts of architect and sculptor to be found in all the countries of the East. A short distance out is the Tomb of Akbar at Sikandra and the deserted city of Fatipur-Sikri, the Versailles of the same ruler, although it antedates Versailles by a hundred years. |
| 17th day | Cawnpur (six hours by rail from Agra), the scene of the fearful massacre of the small British garrison and hundreds of women and children during the Mutiny. No natives are permitted to visit the beautiful monument over the w ell into which the victims, dead and living, were mercilessly thrown. |
| 18th day | Lucknow (one hour by rail from Cawnpur). A handsome city, filled with memories and memorials of the prolonged siege, the famous defense of the British Residency and the relief by General Havelock and Sir Colin Campbell. |
| 19th day 20th |
Benares (six hours by rail from Lucknow), the sacred city of the Hindus, on the Ganges. The great sights are the bathing and burning ghats along the river front and the great Durga Temple, whose neighboring trees are the habitations of hundreds of monkeys; but the holy of holies is the famous sanctuary of the terrible Shiva, the Golden Temple. |
| 21st day 22d 23d |
Calcutta (thirteen hours by rail from Benares), the winter residence of the viceroy, whose " palace is in" the heart of the city. The chief attractions are the Maidan, a large recreation ground, along which runs the principal residential street, the Chowringhee, and on which is located the Museum. The zoological and botanical gardens are very fine |
| 24th day 25th 26th |
Darjeeling (twenty-one hours by rail from Calcutta, of which six are by mountain road). A popular " hill station," or summer resort, on the foot-hills of the Himalayas, about 7,000 feet above sea-level, and commanding a magnificent view of Kinchinjinga (28,156 feet), 45 miles distant; also of the peaks of Mount Everest ( 29,000 feet) and several others of the most exalted peaks of the loftiest range in the world. See page 1 53. |
| 27th day |
Return to Calcutta. |
| 28th day 29th 30th |
Madras (forty-three hours by rail from Calcutta. If, however, there is a steamer leaving conveniently, the traveler had better take passage). Here was the first settlement made by the English in India, for use as a trading station, or " factory," in 1639. It is now a city of more than half a million population. |
| 31st day | Tanjore (ten hours by rail from Madras) . The great Pagoda is 208 feet in height. The sculptures on the gateway and shrines are wonderfully fine. Flaxman's sculptured group in Schwartz's Church is a magnificent piece of work. The Rajah's Palace contains a valuable library, chiefly of Sanscrit manuscripts. |
| 32d day | Trichinopoly (two hours by rail from Tanjore). In the center of the town is the famous Rock, rising some 273 feet, surmounted by a small temple. A short distance out is Sering- ham, where there is a remarkable temple to Vishnu, and another to Shiva. |
| 33d day | Madura (four hours and a half by rail from Tanjore), once the capital of the old Pandyan kingdom. Here is the great Temple, erected by Tirumala Nayak early in the seventeenth century, at fabulous cost. Another wonderful granite edifice is the Pudu Maudapam, as also is the Palace of Tirumala, now utilized as public offices. |
| 34th day | Tuticorin, five hours by rail from Madura |
| 35th day | Colombo (Ceylon), three hours by steamer from Tuticorin. |
