TUMULTUOUS RECEPTION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1307, 9 December 1911, Page 5

TUMULTUOUS RECEPTION.

Delhi, December 7. Their Majesties the King and Queen were accorded a tumultuous reception in the streets. ' ' ,

The reception of the Indian chiefs by the King in a new'tent (the first erected was destroyed by fire) was a magnificent spectacle.

ABSENCE OF ELEPHANTS FROM THE PROCESSION, 'THE CALCUTTA PAGEANT..

It is stated that it is bow definitely settled (says the "Westminster Gazette" of October 25) that her Majesty the Queen, who will take up her residence at Agra while the King Emperor is shooting in Nepal from December IS, will make a short tour ip Rajputnna. Good progress is being made with the preliminary work in connection with the pandal to lie erected for the pageant during the Royal visit lo Calcutta. Although only for five days, tho pandal will be a handsome structure, Oriental in design, and will be built of wood, finished ■in white and gold. It will be 130011. long and will scat 5000 people. The central portion is to bo surmounted by a large dome and will be two storied. The King and Queen will sit in tho centre to view tho pageant on silver and gilt thrones which are to bo used during the Durbar and are now being made at the Mint. In the Royal enclosure will also be seated tho Viceroy and Lady . Hardinge and other distinguished personages, while up above will bo a commodious ladies' leryThe "Times" published a translation of an interesting article, written by Munshi Syed Ahmad, in Urdu, "aimed at removing the misunderstanding which has arisen in tho public mind over the absence of elephants from (he Royal Procession." The following, in Syed Ahmad's opinion, are, some of the principal points in its favour:

An elephant procession is an old-fash-ioned idea, belonging to an age which attached but little importance, to the fleeting moments of human life.

(n) In olden days Hindu Rajas enip oyed Brahmans as drivers of their elephants. Brahmaiiseoiisidorediiolybv the' Hindus, and Syeds accounted sacred by tho Moslems, were the only persons deemed worthy of sifting with their backs towards kings and rulers. Now the custom of riding on elephants has almost disappeared from India. In Europe it has never been in vogue. It would, therefore, bo a difficult matter for the King-Liuporor to discover a saintly Bishop, tally versed in tho art of managing an elephant, who could, according to Oriental etiquette, bo permitted to show ms back to his Imperial Majesty. (b) An elephant is a most unreliable animal. A big crowd, or tho terrifying boom of guns, or a sudden lit of temper! will make lnm lose his head, and thus jeopardise human life. For this reason nUo it seems to linve been deemed proper that our Merciful and Gracious SovereVn should on an occasion of such an immense assemblage dispense with so dangerous a beast. By so doing he has verily shown a -merciful solicitude for the lives and limbs of. his faithful subjects. (c) It is stud that in. the early davs of Hinduism gods and rajahs possessed aerial means of locomotion, • like tho fabled winged throne of Solomon. Had our Monarch desired any such means of locomotion, and had ho chosen to soar in the heavens, tho very best contrivance of thissort could have been procured for him. But then his people m -general would have been deprived of the joy of bchffi hm. Hence it was that our high-mind"! Monarch refused to elevate himself in this