INDIA
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Year Published: 1940
Description: This 1940 color film production was compiled with footage from the experiences of Lawrence Copley Thaw and his wife, Margaret Thaw, during the wealthy couple’s Trans-Asia expedition and travels through India. Lawrence Thaw earned fame for his exploits with Margaret when both were correspondents for National Geographic. They undertook an expedition in 1938 across central Africa, which became a feature in the magazine. As a sequel, they decided to retrace the Great Silk Route, the ancient commercial land link that Marco Polo once plied from today’s Beirut, across Mesopotamia and the Hindu Kush, then through the Khyber Pass into India. An all-GM fleet was selected for the 20,000-mile journey, much of it made over unpaved roads and tracks that were little more than simple trails. Leading the way was the GMC-towed land yacht, urged on by the tractor’s 308.2-cu.in. straight-six. A pair of 1939 Chevrolet flatbeds were assigned to carry some 10 tons of provisions, photo and camping gear. The travelogue of the journey is narrated by Vincent Pelletier with music by Samuel Benavie. General Motors is acknowledged by the filmmaker as the designer and builder of the pair’s motor transportation. In the introduction, many national departments within India are thanked for their assistance in giving American viewers a rare chance to see ceremonial life in India. At 01:45, a red map of India coupled with the blue Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal bordering below and on either side of the country is shown. The land and people of India, described from the Western viewpoint during the time period of the Second World War, are depicted in trade interactions, farming, and other daily activities (02:15-04:05). Cultural festivities and ceremonial dancing in traditional Indian garments are shown (04:26-05:24). At 05:27, students learning the Quran sit beside fellow pupils and teachers. One of the largest in India, the Numa mosque in Delhi, most commonly known as the Jama Masjid, is shown at 05:56. Hindus also appear at one of their respective places of worship by the sacred Ganges River participating in funeral ceremonies (06:00-06:33). From 06:35, the narrator reflects on another religious group in India, those who follow Jainism. Crowds of Jain worshipers climbing the five hundred steps uphill in Shravanabelagola, Karnataka to pay tribute at the feet of the enormous statue of Gomatesvara, also known as Bahubali. At 08:34, the Taj Mahal, built by Shah Jahan to memorialize his bride, is depicted. A birthday Durbar celebration of the Maharaja of Patiala, Indian prince of the Punjab, is presented at 09:43. Footage of the grand wedding procession of His Highness of Bikaner's granddaughter, marrying the heir apparent of Udaipur, takes place among lavish wedding gifts and many government officials dressed in ornate garments as ceremonial dancing for the bride is underway nearby (11:15-17:01). We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: "01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference." This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com Key moments View all India Is the Land of Many Religions 5:49 The Hindus 5:58 Jodhpur Fort 7:53 Taj Mahal 9:08 Transcript Follow along using the transcript. Show transcript PeriscopeFilm 759K subscribers Videos About Support Us on Patreon Patreon Support us! PeriscopeFilm Visit our website
Complete Record: This 1940 color film production was compiled with footage from the experiences of Lawrence Copley Thaw and his wife, Margaret Thaw, during the wealthy couple’s Trans-Asia expedition and travels through India. Lawrence Thaw earned fame for his exploits with Margaret when both were correspondents for National Geographic. They undertook an expedition in 1938 across central Africa, which became a feature in the magazine. As a sequel, they decided to retrace the Great Silk Route, the ancient commercial land link that Marco Polo once plied from today’s Beirut, across Mesopotamia and the Hindu Kush, then through the Khyber Pass into India. An all-GM fleet was selected for the 20,000-mile journey, much of it made over unpaved roads and tracks that were little more than simple trails. Leading the way was the GMC-towed land yacht, urged on by the tractor’s 308.2-cu.in. straight-six. A pair of 1939 Chevrolet flatbeds were assigned to carry some 10 tons of provisions, photo and camping gear. The travelogue of the journey is narrated by Vincent Pelletier with music by Samuel Benavie. General Motors is acknowledged by the filmmaker as the designer and builder of the pair’s motor transportation. In the introduction, many national departments within India are thanked for their assistance in giving American viewers a rare chance to see ceremonial life in India. At 01:45, a red map of India coupled with the blue Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal bordering below and on either side of the country is shown. The land and people of India, described from the Western viewpoint during the time period of the Second World War, are depicted in trade interactions, farming, and other daily activities (02:15-04:05). Cultural festivities and ceremonial dancing in traditional Indian garments are shown (04:26-05:24). At 05:27, students learning the Quran sit beside fellow pupils and teachers. One of the largest in India, the Numa mosque in Delhi, most commonly known as the Jama Masjid, is shown at 05:56. Hindus also appear at one of their respective places of worship by the sacred Ganges River participating in funeral ceremonies (06:00-06:33). From 06:35, the narrator reflects on another religious group in India, those who follow Jainism. Crowds of Jain worshipers climbing the five hundred steps uphill in Shravanabelagola, Karnataka to pay tribute at the feet of the enormous statue of Gomatesvara, also known as Bahubali. At 08:34, the Taj Mahal, built by Shah Jahan to memorialize his bride, is depicted. A birthday Durbar celebration of the Maharaja of Patiala, Indian prince of the Punjab, is presented at 09:43. Footage of the grand wedding procession of His Highness of Bikaner's granddaughter, marrying the heir apparent of Udaipur, takes place among lavish wedding gifts and many government officials dressed in ornate garments as ceremonial dancing for the bride is underway nearby (11:15-17:01). We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: "01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference." This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com Key moments View all India Is the Land of Many Religions 5:49 The Hindus 5:58 Jodhpur Fort 7:53 Taj Mahal 9:08 Transcript Follow along using the transcript. Show transcript PeriscopeFilm 759K subscribers Videos About Support Us on Patreon Patreon Support us! PeriscopeFilm Visit our website
Transcription
[Music] [Applause] [Music] a great ton of land thrusting southward from Asia India richest jewel in the British crown is a land of mystery and contrasts it's people of bernoulli 400 million 1/5 of the world population 3 fifths of India is British government the remainder divided into 562 principalities they speak 220 distinct languages many are the strange sights of India for India is the land where oxen driven by children draw water oxen blindfolded to keep them from knowing they're walking around in a circle all day long this is the land where fine cloth is still woven by hand where thread of gold and silver is woven into cloth and where young boys do the finest sewing and embroidery they are delicate and carefully trained hand create beauty and design in silk in color in this strange land camels are bought and sold in the camel markets like any other merchandise here merchants sit in the windows of their storefront shops making the goods they sell shoes with turned up pointed toes sandals with soles made out of used American automobile tires and so tread patterns popular on American motorcars mark the paths and trails of India India is the land where barbers shave their customers heads in their beards with the advice of an appreciative audience in another sidewalk shop furniture makers turn table legs in primitive bowstring lathes guiding the chisel with their toes this is craftsmanship of a high order and apparently it has stirred the ambition of the younger generation to be a woodworker to on the streets of Indian cities and towns vendors sell sugarcane instead of candy proving that the sweet tooth is universal and proving to that the model about sugar catching the most flies is true around the world if they don't like sugarcane the people can buy hamburgers prepared in the open air they are really goat burgers fried in cauldrons of boiling fat made from goat meat not from beef which is not too plentiful here and to the people can walk from the street directly into the open-air workshop of a coppersmith and have pots and pans made to order yes all this is India India where some of the fiercest fighters of the northwest are the most graceful dancers [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the school boys of this Indian village leave their shoes outside the doors of the mullah school where the only textbook is the Quran and boys learn it by heart by in toning the words aloud in unison with a teacher [Music] India is the land of many religions where Muhammadans gather by the thousands outside the juma mosque in Delhi for evening prayer where the Hindus worshiped by the sacred Ganges for the Hindus believed that when a body is cremated on the banks of the Ganges the smoke of the funeral pyre will bear their ascending souls straight to heaven and that bathing in the sacred waters will infallibly wash away their sins to the Hindus the Ganges is more than a river from the ice caves of the Himalayas where it rises to the Bay of bend down the Ganges is a symbol of Hindu faith one of the most devout religious Saints is the Giants people who believe it is a sin to take the life of any living thing even an insane every 15 years the Giants assembled by hundreds of thousands for a great religious ceremony which takes place on the top of a mountain approached by five hundred steps [Music] and the summit of the mountain stands the object of their homage towering overhead like the Colossus the Statue of the giant Saint damaja surrounded by a scaffold from which a thousand grace tonight the image dominating the mountain for nine hundred and fifty years but giant statue has impassively watched history as they place at his feet offering some building token sandalwood oil flowers dates and poppy seeds yes this empire within an empire is a country of idols of demons carved in stone of animals worship blanka's all this is India but along with all this it is an empire of powerful princes for whom Golconda fort once guarded the fabulous diamond - for whom jodhpur fort was built to dominate the city below a fort with special quarters for the women where they could look out unseen through ornate screens of carven stone a fort where even now unknown God aspired every day in contrast to the guns and forts are the gardens known around the world such as the Shalimar Gardens [Music] a monument of unparalleled magnificence such as this tomb built by the great mogul Shah Jahan to commemorate his bride in all the world no Memorial is better known than this architectural masterpiece of delicate embroidery and marble a great rulers tribute to his loved one [Music] scattered across the country our incredible palaces breathtaking reception halls like this hall of private audience of the same ruler Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal palaces that are still a byword for splendour and ornate display [Music] in these Indian states governed by their own princess display and magnificence marked the ceremonial life as well as the monument [Music] this is the birthday Durbar the birthday celebration of the Maharaja of Patiala a powerful Indian prince of the Punjab in sheer possessions accumulated over the centuries by their families and he's rulers like the Maharaja of Patiala they surpassed the wealthiest men on earth [Music] as an example of this wealth around his highness nation are thousands of carats of the Patiala diamond a king's ransom a sparkling gems yes all this is India [Music] and here is still another India the India of the military display of the Maharaja of beacon errs households through all this display is part of the festivities which accompany the wedding of the Maharaja of bitterness granddaughter to the heir apparent of who died for [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] some of the wedding gifts fairly staggered the imagination they include embroidered camels horses decked with solid silver trappings carriages made of solid gold decorated elephants a Chevrolet bus designed for the household transportation service a motor car especially fitted out for hunting expeditions and two Cadillacs or just riding around an Indian State wedding is a stupendous extravaganza few other spectacles on earth can equal such a wedding for parkour brilliance and the opportunity to see such a celebration is a privilege offered rarely if ever to any but a favored few [Music] [Music] every official and dignitary is garbed in flamboyant color that out does the rainbow and the procession to the palace is like a chapter from the Arabian Nights [Music] yet in all the amazing parade of kaleidoscopic head gently the bridegroom is seen alone without his drive she is kept in seclusion out of sight [Music] no men even invited guests except members of the immediate family are permitted to see the bride before or during the ceremony instead while the actual wedding takes place inside the palace the guests are entertained by a display of Indian playing and dancing [Music] [Music] [Music] the festivities continued for days concluding with a state banquet on surface of solid gold for 300 guests including the greatest ruling princes of India yes this too is India the lavishness and splendor of the official life of the Indian rulers inheritors of the wealth that made this land the treasure house of the ancient world and the final objective of every great Conqueror and here is the end of our voyage into the past the motor caravan has taken us to the goal of our journey the land where in bygone days the caravan started with their loads of gold and jewels rich fabrics spices and dyes the land of teeming millions whose lives and Labor's weighs and worship together make the magnificence and mystery we know as [Music]
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