- Collection:
- Juliette Gordon Low Correspondence, Series India Letters
- Title:
- Juliette Gordon Low's India Trip and Diary, 1908
- Creator:
- Low, Juliette Gordon, 1860-1927
Parker, Elizabeth - Date of Original:
- 1907-12/1908-04
- Subject:
- India--Description and travel
Pakistan--Description and travel
Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh, India)--Description and travel
Lucknow (India)--Description and travel
Kanpur (India)--Description and travel
Lahore (Pakistan)--Description and travel
Rawalpindi (Pakistan)--Description and travel
Sialkot (Sialkot District, Pakistan)--Description and travel
Delhi (India)--Description and travel
Meerut (India)--Description and travel
Agra (India)--Description and travel
Madras (India)--Description and travel
Weddings--India
Beggars--India
Caste--India
Elephants--India
India--History--British occupation, 1765-1947
India--History, Military--20th century
Great Britain--Armed Forces--India--History
East and West
Southern States--Race relations
India--Race relations
Water--Religious aspects--Hinduism
Ganges River (India and Bangladesh)
India--Religious life and customs
Death--India
Dead
India--History--Sepoy Rebellion, 1857-1858
Music--India--20th century
Golden Temple (Amritsar, India)
Yamuna River (India)
Mogul Empire--History
Polo--India
Fatehpur Sikri (India)--Buildings, structures, etc.
Taj Mahal (Agra, India)
Agra Fort (Agra, India)
Chickenpox--India - People:
- Low, Juliette Gordon, 1860-1927--Correspondence
Younghusband, Francis Edward, Sir, 1863-1942
Ranjit Singh, Maharaja of the Punjab, 1780-1839
Hari Singh, Maharaja, 1895-1961
Curzon, George Nathaniel Curzon, Marquis of, 1859-1925
Sutherland, Bamba Jindan Dhuleep Singh, 1869-1957
Humayun, Emperor of Hindustan, 1508-1556--Tomb - Location:
- India, 22.0, 79.0
Pakistan, 30.0, 70.0 - Medium:
- diaries
letters (correspondence) - Type:
- Text
- Format:
- application/pdf
- Description:
- Journal contents: 1. Correspondence to Parents, W. W. and Nelly Gordon, from Benares, January 31, 1908, 2 pages [pages 1-2 of PDF]. Letters from family received while in Calcutta after more than one month of no news. Letter from General Hunter at Fort Said. Observations about servants, Madras, local beggars and the travails of travel. 2. Correspondence to sister, Mabel Gordon Leigh, from Benares, February 3, 1908, 8 pages [pages 3-10 of PDF]. Explanation of itinerary change to go immediately to Sialkot. Description of shopping in Calcutta, and equipment purchased for train travel. Experiences in Benares, a sacred city with both Buddhist temples and Hindu shrines where pilgrims purify themselves in the Ganges, and separate bathing of castes. Encounter with a wedding party consisting of 7 year old bride and 14 year old groom and discriminatory views of locals. Compares Ganges to Savannah River and describes having to leave without paying her hotel bill because of a closed bank. 3. Correspondence to Nelly Gordon, February 4, 1908, 5 pages [pages 11-15 of PDF]. Description of the residency and mutiny of 1857 at Lucknow, a visit to the Jemma Masjid built in the 1850s and siege at Cawnpore. Visited Tomb of 4th King of Oudh, and enjoyed a festival with streets lit for miles using bowls of oil/wicks. Description of palace of Kaiser Bagh and the houses of the prince's dancing girls. Arrived in Cawnpore on February 7th, described gruesome murders that occurred around the area. Describes the frustration of planning and securing first class accommodations for four women. Mentions Seyd Tassadue Ali, a native servant who managed their luggage during the trip. Concludes by explaining Beth's positive reactions to the trip, with hope that Beth would become a more observant person. 4. Visit to Princess Bamba Dhuleep Singh, February 9, 1908, 3 pages [pages 16-18 of PDF]. Trip to Lahore and awkward meeting between Grace Carter, Juliette and Princess Bamba Dhuleep Singh, descendent of Ranjit Singh, ruler of the Sikh Empire. Description of the princess, her home, and her skin color. The letter concludes with them in a train station in route to Sialkot. 5. Wisdom from Pundit of Punjab, February 15, 1908, page 45 [page 19 of PDF]. Group increases by two, daughters of Lieutenant Governor of Punjab. Religious leader (Pundit) in Punjab explained his religion and the state of women's souls. 6. Enjoying local customs and culture, February 17, 1908, 4 pages [pages 20-24 of PDF]. Description of riding elephants in gold lined howdahs. Visited a fort, had tea and enjoyed courtyards with sacred Bo trees. Took in native musical performance with indigenous instruments. On reverse of last page notes about travel to Peshawar, made note of Zakka Khel war. 7. Correspondence to Nelly Gordon, February 20, 1908, 6 pages [pages 25-30 of PDF]. Anxious because of her parent's health, mentions acceptance of invitation from Sir Francis Younghusband, advisor to Maharaja of Kashmir, to stay with him and his sister at Sialkot. Discusses polo matches, beauty of Himalayas and practice for mock battles by men ordered to the front, the "Ghoor Rhas." 8. Correspondence to Lou? undated, 8 pages [pages 31-38 of PDF]. In Northern India, recalled troops gathering to fight Zakka Khel. Described elephant rides and local music, her favorite a five year boy. Detailed account of Maharaja's palace gardens with cages of wild animals; other animals were monkeys and parrots flying. Letter ends with details of their return in April. 9. Correspondence to W. W. Gordon II & Visit to Lahore, February 27, 1908 and March 2, 1908, 9 pages [pages 39-47 of PDF]. (Letter to W. W. Gordon II, February 27th) Stayed with Mrs. Clifton Brown, observations about native servitude compared to plantation slavery. Had tea with Sir Francis Younghusband, and discussed Lord Curzon. Visited Bamba Dhuleep Singh at Lahore, saw tomb of Ranjit Singh and references sati practice of his wives. After visit to a museum, admired Shalimar Gardens and Golden Temple of Amritsar, center of Sikh religion. On way to Delhi, train caught fire and carriage had to be abandoned. (Letter to Nelly Gordon on reverse of page 62 [page 47 of PDF], February 27th). Father's influenza ongoing, requested cables for faster communication regarding updates on family health. 10. Correspondence to Nelly Gordon, undated, 6 pages [pages 48-53 of PDF]. Arrived in Delhi from Lahore and visited the palace belonging to one of the last Mughal kings. Segregated women's area in the palace made of white marble. Notes the extraordinary tombs made by the Indian people, saw Humayun's tomb, but described the Taj Mahal as the most beautiful in India. Regrouped with British friends, attended horse race and discussed India and polo. 11. Correspondence to Nelly Gordon, March 16, 1908, 9 pages [pages 54-62 of PDF]. (Letter to Nelly Gordon, March 16th) Visited Fatehpur Sikri and white marble tomb of the Saint; visited Taj Mahal, provided detailed history of the tomb. After consulting a doctor for mosquito bites, was quarantined with chicken pox; Grace and Beth later contracted chicken pox and three were quarantined together. Meeting with Begum of Bhopal canceled. Removed from Agra Hotel and taken in by Major Smyth and put into his bungalow. Juliette and Beth recovered while Grace remained ill. (Letter to Nelly Gordon, April 2nd on reverse of p. 79 [page 63 of PDF]). Expressed that she was not writing because she did not want to infect her journal, believed they had small pox instead of chicken pox.
- Local Identifier:
- ARC.003376
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:jglow_jglowc_arc003376-01
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/do:jglow_jglowc_arc003376-01
- Language:
- eng
- Extent:
- 63 pages
- Original Collection:
- Juliette Gordon Low Papers, Series 2. Correspondence, Subseries 1. Correspondence (Family)
- Holding Institution:
- Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace
- Rights:
-
