DOI Heft:
Nr. 333 (February 1925)
DOI Artikel:Joyce, Perrin: Ambèr-Indian fairyland
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19984#0122
inCGRFlAClOnAL
WW
like palace, an enchanted castle. A sensitive
and erudite scholar warned the writer, in
describing Amber, to "beware of adjectives"
worn out by usage to a mere mockery of
sense. Kipling's picture is best: "From the
top of the palace you look into the very
heart of the city of Amber—a heart that has
ceased to beat. . . . There may be desola-
tion in the Indian desert to the westward
and there is desolation upon the open sea;
but the desolation of Amber is beyond the
loneliness either of land or sea."
As soberly as possible, avoiding treach-
erous adjectives, let us begin the story of
Amber.
Once upon a time, among the hills of
northern India, not far from the borderland
of Thibet, a potentate named Dhola Rae
founded a city which was named Amba or
Universal Mother. Another of its names was
Ghaut Rani or Queen of the Mountains.
Palaces and forts, houses and temples sprang
up and walls were built around it; and as
there was no dearth of workmen and no lack
of time, as materials of ah kinds were plen-
tiful, all was done on a scale of unparalleled
magnificence. In the year 1600, a ruler
named Mirza Rajah or .ley Singh I, began
E11SROIDERED CURTAIN, THE BACKGROUND OF GOLD, FROM AMBER ' D ' °
work on a palace which he named the De-
wain Khas. The Dewain Khas was an
pense the citizens for the lost glories of Amber, audience hall with a double row of columns form-
Today much of Amber is in ruins—all save a ing its three sides. The outer row was of red sand-
small group of palace buildings; but there is none stone and the inner of grey marble. The capitals
to say that the ruins of Amber do not eclipse the on the outer row of pillars were sculptured ele-
hygienic splendors of Jeypore. phants of marble, supporting the vaulted roof
It is impossible to speak sanely of Amber. A with their upraised trunks.*
sober English missionary, Bishop Heber, struggled Now this was in the days of Jehangir, the
to sum up his impressions but in the end could Great Mogul of India. Travelers' tales, especially
only assert that in all his travels he had found those of Bernier, tell of the splendors and mag-
nothing comparable to it. Travelers of a later day, nilicence of the rajah's court at Agra. When word
overstuffed with the "sights" of the Orient, came to the ears of the Great Mogul that his
wrestle vainly with a few inadequate phrases and *This baU was paved wilh iniaid marUe 0j many cohrs
then, with conscious futility, say that it is a fairy- and bad a white marble throne at one end.
CARVED IVORY PACHISI PIECES FROM AMBER
three eighty-two
FEBRUARY I 9 2 J
WW
like palace, an enchanted castle. A sensitive
and erudite scholar warned the writer, in
describing Amber, to "beware of adjectives"
worn out by usage to a mere mockery of
sense. Kipling's picture is best: "From the
top of the palace you look into the very
heart of the city of Amber—a heart that has
ceased to beat. . . . There may be desola-
tion in the Indian desert to the westward
and there is desolation upon the open sea;
but the desolation of Amber is beyond the
loneliness either of land or sea."
As soberly as possible, avoiding treach-
erous adjectives, let us begin the story of
Amber.
Once upon a time, among the hills of
northern India, not far from the borderland
of Thibet, a potentate named Dhola Rae
founded a city which was named Amba or
Universal Mother. Another of its names was
Ghaut Rani or Queen of the Mountains.
Palaces and forts, houses and temples sprang
up and walls were built around it; and as
there was no dearth of workmen and no lack
of time, as materials of ah kinds were plen-
tiful, all was done on a scale of unparalleled
magnificence. In the year 1600, a ruler
named Mirza Rajah or .ley Singh I, began
E11SROIDERED CURTAIN, THE BACKGROUND OF GOLD, FROM AMBER ' D ' °
work on a palace which he named the De-
wain Khas. The Dewain Khas was an
pense the citizens for the lost glories of Amber, audience hall with a double row of columns form-
Today much of Amber is in ruins—all save a ing its three sides. The outer row was of red sand-
small group of palace buildings; but there is none stone and the inner of grey marble. The capitals
to say that the ruins of Amber do not eclipse the on the outer row of pillars were sculptured ele-
hygienic splendors of Jeypore. phants of marble, supporting the vaulted roof
It is impossible to speak sanely of Amber. A with their upraised trunks.*
sober English missionary, Bishop Heber, struggled Now this was in the days of Jehangir, the
to sum up his impressions but in the end could Great Mogul of India. Travelers' tales, especially
only assert that in all his travels he had found those of Bernier, tell of the splendors and mag-
nothing comparable to it. Travelers of a later day, nilicence of the rajah's court at Agra. When word
overstuffed with the "sights" of the Orient, came to the ears of the Great Mogul that his
wrestle vainly with a few inadequate phrases and *This baU was paved wilh iniaid marUe 0j many cohrs
then, with conscious futility, say that it is a fairy- and bad a white marble throne at one end.
CARVED IVORY PACHISI PIECES FROM AMBER
three eighty-two
FEBRUARY I 9 2 J