Grace Of Indian Women Impressed N.Z. Visitor

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27992, 12 June 1956, Page 2

Grace Of Indian Women Impressed N.Z. Visitor

VER'S FOR ROMEN

In India one met women of the highest type of society—the highly educated woman who combined with her fine intellect an exquisite grace and charm of manner—and also the lowest type who engaged in gross superstitious practices, said Mrs Betnard Elphick, who was the guest speaker at the monthly meeting of the Lincoln College Women’s Group—a group comprising of staff members. She had been impressed by the grace of Indian women, said Mrs Elphick. That grace was noticeable even when women were wearing the poorest quality saris. She thought the Indian habit of sitting on floors with legs crossed helped to give the women better posture.

An Indian widow wore a plain white sari and no jewellery, but other women considered it good luck to wear much jewellery. Women of high caste wore mainly gold jewellery. The kind and shape of the jewellery they wore and the type of perfume they used were considered most carefully to suit their personality. Most Indian women wore their hair in a bun at the back of the head and round the bun arranged flowers, often the beautifully scented white tuberose, which grew profusely in the warm climate. The poor type of Indian wore silver jewellery. They considered the silver an investment and a way of saving their money, said Mrs Elphick. There was a great variety of life in India. In the streets one might see Indians driving the most modern cars, and nearby men pulling carriages, and cows and monkeys wandering amongst the pedestrians. She had see nine coolies carrying a piano on their heads,- a difficult feat, as they had to walk in unison to keep balance. She had seen trucks carried in the same way Hands were seldom used to steady the thing carried. The only aid to balance was a flat object placed on top of the head. Many Indian families lived together under the one roof. Sometimes as many as 50 or 60 persons shared a dwelling. In the villages these dwellings. enclosing a courtyard, were huts of mud. Indian homes, except those

of the very wealthy, were smaller than what Westerners considered

Luggage No Problem At night members of the family unrolled their bed mats in different parts of the house instead of each retiring to a separate bedroom. It was quite the custom when travelling to take one’s own bedding, which was rolled up into something like a canvas carryall with two straps for handles. One seldom had to carry one’s baggage as there were always large numbers of porters available. She had known people travel with their own cooking equipment, and she had seen travellers followed by 10 or 12 porters carrying their luggage. Mrs Elphick showed members some of the Indian women’s perfume she had bought. When one put a spot or two on the skin, there seemed little fragrance. The perfume took some time to develop and had a lasting fragrance.

In India there did not seem to be the same rush and bustle as in Western life. If a speaker did not arrive on time for a meeting, the audience did not mind waiting an hour or two until he did, or until someone else was found to take his place.

Mrs Elphick told the story of a into the country she had made by bus. Six miles from their destination the bus stopped. Passengers alighted, and it was found that there was no petrol. It was the custom of the owner of the bus to give the driver only sufficient petrol to get him to his destination, as he suspected that the driver was selling the petrol. On this occasion the driver had misjudged the amount of petrol he had sold, and a messenger was sent six miles to recover the petrol while the bus passengers sat on the side of the road and enjoyed themselves till the messenger returned after his 12-mile run. No-one seemed > the slightest bit fussed, said Mrs Elphick.

Indian women had a great love for their families and were intensely attached to them. When travelling, she had noticed particularly how the women seemed to enjoy their children, and derived much pleasure from their company.