“ROMANTIC INDIA.”

Taranaki Daily News, 12 May 1925, Page 9

“ROMANTIC INDIA.”

TOLD BY PICTURE AND STORY. ‘‘Romantic India,” a unique combination of story and moving and coloured pictures, displaying the fascinating wonders of the East, was presented by Colonel Eldred Pottinger, D. 5.0., F.R.G.S., to an appreciative New Plymouth audience at the Empire Theatre last night. The travelogue, which was produced by Lowell Thomas, that intrepid photographer, who toured New Zealand about four years ago, represents an attempt to fossick out the unusual and the bizarre, and to get away as much as possible from the beaten track of the tourist. The photographer journeyed from Madras to Tibet, from Afghanistan to Bengal, and the story of his wondrous march was told in a very vivid manner by Colonel Pottinggf, who spoke from an actual knowledge of the East. Fi’om the coast where the natives still fish in primitive style, Lowell Thomas went to Madras, and then he moved in a clockwise direction round India, penetrating to the forbidden countries of Afghanistan and Tibet. Native life and native customs, the irrigation of the rice-fields by means of bullock, power pumps that have been of the same design for thousands of years, snake charming, carving of ivory, religious rites and processions, were depicted in a splendid series of coloured moving pictures. There were also interesting glimpses of famous temples'and shrines. Kashmir, with its beautiful ancient temples and great plaeid lakes completely covered with magnificent red lotus lilies, was shown to be a most delightful place. The first, and probably only existing pictures of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, were similarly depicted. Permission to enter the territory, explained Colonel Pottinger, was only obtained from the Amir after a great deal of trouble. Afghanistan has proved itself to be a very unhealthy place, it being estimated only one person out of ten ever came out alive. Some very fine photographs were obtained of the historic Khyber Pass, with its winding road, 33 miles long, through mountain fastnesses, and also of Peshawur, “The City of a Thousand Sins.” Delhi en fete in honour of the Prince of Wales, presented a scene of Eastern splendour never to be forgotten, and Cawnpore and Lucknow, famous for their parts in the Indian mutiny, were also visited. The latter scenes of the picture were of Calcutta, and the sacred Ganges, and the Taj Mahal, said to be the most beautiful building in the world. The track o_f the Mount Everest expeditions was followed by picture and diagram. Excellent music was provided during the evening by an orchestra under the direction of Mrs. Woods. “Romantic India” wifi be repeated to-night, and both young and old should »ot miss this really entertaining and instructive production.