Travels by aquatint

Place: COLONIAL INDIA

Book:
DANIELLS' INDIA: Views from the eighteenth century
Introduction: B N Goswamy
Niyogi Books
Pages: 204 
Price: Rs 6,000

Professor Mushirul Hasan’s tenure at the National Archives ended recently with the release of particularly significant work – the publication of a book consisting reproductions of exquisite aquatints by the famous English uncle-nephew duo Thomas and William Daniell.  These are part of the collection at National Archives, and present an unparalleled view of late 18th century India- a time of fervent and major changes in directions for India’s polity and economy.

The Water-fall at Puppanassum in the Tinnevelly District  

Not that this is overtly visible in their tranquil depictions of India. When they came to India, after seeking and getting permission of the ‘Honourable Court of the Directors of the East India Company’, Thomas was 36, his nephew William barely16.  They set sail to India in 1785, reaching Calcutta next year. The British Raj had firmly established itself, with the East Indian Company armies winning victories over rulers in Bengal, the south, the Marathas and the Mughals and finally Tipu Sultan’s Mysore.  

The Writers’ Buildings, so called from being the residence of the junior
part of the Gentlemen in the service of the English East India Company.
 Immediately beyond this Edifice is the old Court House; the road leads
on to the Loll Bazar; the obelisk was erected by Governor Holwell,*
 in commemoration of the dreadful circumstance which
happened in the prison called the Blackhole in the year 1756.

Thomas Daniell, as was the custom, on reaching India, advertised in the Calcutta Chronicle that “he proposed to publish twelve views of Calcutta at twelve gold Mohurs the set... there was demand for this kind of work, for the British, potential subscribers, loved the city which had grown to be ‘not only the handsomest town in Asia but one of the finest in the world’”.  Considerable success later, the duo were drawn to go into the hinterlands – up the Ganga, to Murshidabad – the original home of Company Paintings, and then onwards to the leading cities of the time - Patna, Kanpur, Agra  and Delhi, returning to Calcutta only in 1791. Over eight years, they made three major journeys – after travelling up the Ganga, they went south, basing themselves in Madras and traversing the southern parts of peninsular India. The last journey took them to the west, covering Elephanta, Kanheri and Salsette among others.  

THE ENTRANCE TO THE MAUSOLEUMS IN SULTAUN KHUSERO’S GARDEN, NEAR ALAHABAD: This gate is the principal entrance to the garden in which Sultaun Khusero, his mother the Ranee, and his brother Sultaun Purveiz, are interred. Though a massy structure, it has by no means a heavy effect; and though it formerly may have appeared with more splendor, having been painted with different colours, that surface is fortunately now nearly washed off. The upper part towards the garden is much decayed.  

THE JUMMAH MUSJED, AT DELHI: The Jummah Musjed, or Friday’s Mosque,
 is the principal place of religious worship of the followers of the
Mahommedan doctrine in India. This edifice was built by the Emperor
Shah Jehan. The domes, and all the other parts which appear white,
are of Cashmerian marble, the rest of red stone procured in the
neighbourhood of Delhi. In regularity of design and correctness  of
execution this building is considered of the first class. It is approached
by three magnificent gates.

Their itinerary was exhaustive, and the geography covered extensive - from Garhwal in the north to Kanyakumari in the south, and often took them to places no one had recorded earlier. Their works are remarkably detailed, much in the style of Canaletto, and possibly in tune with William Galpin’s contemporary Picturesque art, which concentrated on landscapes. Indeed the landscapes that the Daniells have depicted in their works are of a romantic, mystical, exotic India, an image that persists to this day. Thomas Sutton quotes a glowing tribute to the artistic work of the Daniells, “The execution of these drawings is indeed masterly; there is every reason to confide in the fidelity of the representations; and the effect produced by this rich and splendid display of oriental scenery is truly striking. In looking at it, one may almost feel the warmth of an Indian sky, the water seems to be in actual motion and the animals, trees and plants are studies for the naturalist.”

TREMAL NAIG’S CHOULTRY, MADURA: The Choultry of rajah Tremal Naig is considered as one of the first works of its kind in the south of Hindoostan. Its general form is that of a parallelogram, three hundred and twelve feet in length, by one hundred and twenty-five feet in width; and consists of one large hall, the ceiling of which is supported by six ranges of columns, about twenty-five feet in height, many of them formed of single stones, and the whole composed of grey granite. This view contains half the centre ile. On the second pillar to the right hand is the effigy of the rajah with three of his wives, to whom, for his munificence, the Hindoos still continue to pay divine honours. Beyond the rajah, and on the pillars opposite to him are other statues representing his family. In the ceiling are the twelve signs of the zodiac; and a number of mythological figures carved in basso relievo, are interspersed through the building, which, together with a profusion of other decorations, are executed with an uncommon degree of skill and attention.

Their work is dominated by stunning details – of palaces, forts, cities, baolis, hills, valleys, masjids, pavilions, ghats, temples, waterfalls, even a pagoda. Ruins had a special attraction, as did the nature itself. There is the bounty and splendour of nature (see The Water-Fall at Puppanassum in the Tinnevelly District), meticulous reproductions of architectural details (Tremal Naig’s Choultry, Madura – okay, let me translate - a choultry or reception hall for pilgrims built by then ruler Tirumala Nayak in 1635 in Madurai) or the everyday flow of life (view of Chitpore Road, Calcutta). The scale is usually majestic, and people are usually almost props, used to highlight the scale of the surroundings.

View Near DARAMUNDI, in the Mountains of SERINAGUR

The story of printmaking has been a long one, and aquatints were not one of the simpler techniques. The uncle nephew duo must have endured a lot during their back breaking, even pioneering journeys. Goswamy mentions that the painters themselves form part of the works occasionally. We see them from the back painting outside the fort at Bijaigarh, hunched over, holding a long telescope, next to a snoozing dog, shading themselves from the sun, both with hats and small canopy held by two servants. They are seen discussing in a group outside the palace at Madurai. It is impossible to calculate just how much the knowledge of the country was improved by their work, recording an India that not many knew existed.

It is good to note that they did well financially from their exhausting efforts. When they undertook their second journey - to the south, they were accompanied by a more extensive retinue of “two palanquins each with bearers, two horses and grooms, a bullock cart and three pack-bullocks, seven bearers to carry provisions, two porters to carry their drawing tables, besides several personal servants”. London saw richer rewards once they returned and published Oriental Scenery.

Today the duo are more than just a footnote in the fascinating story of the subcontinent. You may have seen their work at Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, or enjoyed their detailed craftsmanship over a drink at Daniells’ Tavern, named after them, at Delhi’s Imperial hotel. This book brings it closer home, the book’s excellent reproductions – compare it to HD in print if you like, and production quality, makes it a great pleasure to pore over the finer details of each painting. Most of the captions are detailed, and while original captions and spellings are used, there is a glossary at the end that makes sense of most names. Well for most. Yes, Bahar is Bihar and Cannouge is Kannauj, but there is no clue to ‘Chevalpettore’, ‘Dhuah Koonde’, ‘Siccra Gulley on the Ganges’ and some others! Perhaps a note on the places or map of their itinerary would help research follow the trail to these exotic destinations. And perhaps a CD of the works!

Riverside stroll

The Kolkata skyline with the Hugli in the foreground. You can just about make out the lights of
Eden Gardens on the right

Place: KOLKATA

The Kolkata skyline seen from across the Hugli. This afternoon pic is taken from the Howrah side of the river, just south of the famous Howrah railway station.

A building in Bhawanipur, central
Kolkata. Note the hand drawn
rickshaws, outlawed years ago,
but still plying!

Kolkata, once the political capital of the British empire in India, has been a city in almost continuous decline ever since independence. Yet, as this pic indicates, it is a city that has potential. Though not visible from in this pic, it has an enormous treasure house of architectural riches. But years of apathy means most old buildings have little or no maintenance and are crumbling, the roads are chokingly full of largely obsolete traffic, there is little modicum of order and very little to suggest that at this time even a century, it was south Asia's leading city and fount of ideas.

The Hugli, part of the Ganga, is an integral part of the city's life stream, and thousands cross the river by boats and ferries on their way to work. There are still some ghats where a stroll is a pleasant experience and totally warranted. Try that, or a ferry ride upstream to Belur to feel the beauty of the city that has lost in decades of apathy.

The city has begun to show some signs of revival, though there is an enormously long way to go. 

Unholy mess

Place: GARHMUKTESHWAR

Boatmen have meagre business during most of the year except for a few holy days on the Hindu calendar

As almost any Indian will know, if not admit, in India, religious and dirt are synonymous in the country. Whether it is that the major religious texts of the country do not stress on this aspect, or it is simply the people who do not want care, there is hardly any public place in India associated primarily with religion which is not simultaneously a garbage dump accompanied by a melee of poor.

Garhmukteshwar is no exception. The closest point on the Ganga to Delhi, where those following rituals go to fulfil those obligations, it has all the failings of a religious site in India. The ghats are a short distance away from the city centre. Now there is a huge bridge that goes very near the ghats and offers great views of the ghats.

Right from the time you approach ghats, and you will have either ways taken the NH 24 to reach here, the general look of apathy and decay start.

The way to the ghats is not paved, and you often have to wade through slush mixed with cow urine, manure, sometimes human excreta, decaying fruit and vegetable droppings, little tea shops with their garbage piled right next door, so that you can check whether they have by chance used anything that might benefit your health. Never an easy experience unless you are a rural child of unruly disposition.

Then there are the shops. You have navigate through a short walkway that goes past small shacks selling a mix of religious needs - brass utensils, prayer beads, flowers, incense sticks, plastic and glass bangles, plastic toys, cups etc and plastic toy shops that cater still to the rural hinterlands. You would have to strive hard to find anything that costs Rs 100 or more. And this is pushing sale, so you may touched and told, begged, cajoled, berated into buying stuff that you would not want to be seen dead with.

The ghats here have been concretised a few years ago, and theoretically are decent. But the The river here is broad and muddy. It has already lost most of its speed after reaching the plains, though here is it generally fairly fast, and quite in torrent during the monsoons.

Garhmukteshwar is also famous for its Ganga Fair, held in October - on the day of full moon in kartik, when it is estimated that about eight to ten lakh people take a dip in the river. This is regarded as auspicious, though exactly what good things have happened to people who have taken the dip in still unclear to me.

There is a fair amount of aquatic life, including the famous, and famously shy, river dolphins. You have to sit still in a boat in the middle of the river to catch a site of these beautiful creatures. There are a number of birds as well. The other bank of the river is largely fields, and in season ie late winter and autumn, they are lovely.

Just before the ghats are another unique offering, cane furniture. This is basic, and at prices that are a fraction of branded offerings, though more than in other unbranded places. Increasingly there are innovations happening, and this time I saw a shelf that was positively enticing. We did end up buying a few modas though for my cousins!

For me, what was most rewarding was the drive up to the place, through lush green fields and ripening crops. 

Heritage haveli

Place: UNCHAGAON

A leisure resort in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh, Fort Unchagaon is a largish old haveli in the middle of nowhere. An early 20^th century haveli, it is now a hotel.

The imposing entrance to Fort Unchagaon

Reaching it will not be easy at all – we took a road trip till Garhmukteshwar, and then a boat ride down the Ganga. Now this may sound interesting, unfortunately the mighty river in this stage of her life is rather staid. On both banks all you can see are grey bluffs and some crops in the field if you have taken the right season, read winter. It is a really long journey by boat, and if you stop by the rather picturesque island along the way, the journey only becomes longer. But entire worth it as it is a relief from the grey waters and banks. If you are a couple on a romantic trip, better not have disagreements, for the two of you is all the company you shall get!

And be warned, despite the boatmen claiming there are river dolphins in this stretch, you will encounter them more in the way you meet tigers in a tiger reserve. “Pug marks are all I ever see, and on this journey at least, this is how I saw the dolphins. However, to be fair, I did see the dolphins on a later trip in this stretch!

Disembarking after what seemed endless hours on the boat, hungry and tired – the chips and other goodies had been on different boat, we made to the banks again, only to discover there was another road trip, and this time through almost non existent roads!

Anyhow, reaching this tiny hamlet dominated by this haveli was a bit of an anti climax – the interiors are all dominated by erstwhile semi rajahs whose only passion seems to have been to decimate fauna in the area. The walls are lined with tiger, deer and other animal heads, and that is definitely not my preferred interior decoration motif.

It turned out that the rooms are pretty large, and draughty, and if at the end of haveli, can be spooky as well. Given that it is an old palace, not all amenities are as updated as you would want them to be. And no, there is no TV in the rooms! Food is standard fare, ordinary north Indian. Alcohol is local or strong beer. Despite the increase in tourism in India, this little hole in the wall has not yet caught on, and people stare when you step out of the haveli.

The lawns are easily the best part of the haveli. As there is not much else to do, prepare to entertain yourself!