Peacock Girls of Mandelay

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1922, Page 4

Peacock Girls of Mandelay

PAGEANT OF SAVAGE BEAUTY

MANDALAY, Jan. 9

All Englishmen coming to Burma are captivated bj T the country and by the people, and the Prince of Wales’s visit hiere is likely to remain one of the most joyous episodes of the whole tour. During the two days .Mandalay has done its very best to show its loyalty and hospitality. The more formal and familiar entertainments and ceremonials have been the parade of troops early yesterday morning, with the inspection of ex-Service men, followed by luncheon with Major-General Sir Vere Fane, commanding tHe Burma district, and a dinner last night and a garden party this afternoon at Government House, all of which passed off very well in an atmosphere of the greatest cordiality. These have been interspersed with other and more characteristic entertainments only to be seen here—hugely diverting races of bullock carts on tl.ja bund of the moat and round the fort walls and boat races in the moat itself.

The Burmese people.are passionately devoted to every form of sport and gambling, and the bullocks, drivers and ihe populace were equally carried away with delirious excitement. V hen two long centipede-like canoes, propelled throwers using their own feet instead of paddles, ran a magnificent dead-Deat, the uproar was indescribable. MYRIADS OF LANTERNS. It was all immensely entertaining. The most remarkable of all, however, was a lavish entertainment last night given by the chiefs of the Shan States in the form primarily, of a grotesque masque of beasts in which really admirably clowning stage elephants, llamas, bears, tiger cubs, and so forth alternated with the channing coquetries of glorified peacock girls, from whom thip late Rostant could profitably have taken many lessons for the production of “C'hantecler” (Rostand’s animal play). This was followed hv an extraordinary pageant by retainers of the various Shan chiefs, 600 performers altogether, who gave a series of dances, exhibitions of sword play and so forth to the accompaniment of wild cries and the music of clashing cymbals, strange pipes, and throbbing deep cathedraltoned war drums.

The scene was illuminated by myriads of coloured lanterns, and the spectacle was equally savage and beautiful as seen from the central Randal or marquee erected for the Prince’s party in the middle of the grassy aqena, which was ringed round by a vast concourse of people picturesquely dressed. Beyond these again rose the gilded and elaborately carved fronts of the respective Pandals of various Shan chiefs. When the entertainment was over, soon after 11 o’clock at night, the Prince went through the crowds to visit booths which were exhibiting Shan industries. The enthusiasm was tremendous.