Then, a man of soaring vision and uncanny powers

Then, a man of soaring vision and uncanny powers of persuasion saw the possibilities of the site as a tourist attraction and somehow cajoled the government into building an airport. Indian Airlines into breaking their DelhiVaranasi flights there, and investors into putting up the funds for a luxury hotel. This remarkable man, Mr. S. S. Poddar, was there to greet our group when we arrived at his Chandela Hotel, called after the Hindu dynasty that was responsible for building the Khajuraho temples between 950 and 1050 A. D.

After settling into our rooms, we were entertained to a recital of traditional Indian music. A young woman sang for us to the accompaniment of the sittar. Then the four male musicians performed, solo and in combination, on their various instruments, all of which looked very strange to Western eyes. Afterwards, we were permitted to look at the instruments. 1 noted that one big sittar had no fewer than eighteen strings. But the "instrument” that fascinated me most consisted of eleven earthenware bowls of different sizes, filled to varying depths with water. Each bowl, when struck on the edge with a little stick or hammer of some kind, naturally gave out a different note from the others, thus enabling the player to produce a melody. Why eleven different notes were needed, 1 am not musician enough to understand. The music as a whole was agreeable, some of it deepl) moving.