Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 104

BINDU PAINTING AND MUSIC
64
The little pro-
mentioned, to the barbers and Pariahs
gress that is made in these arts is no doubt due to the
small amount of encouragement which they receive. As
The
for painting, one never sees anything but daubs.
Hindus are quite satisfied if their artists can draw designs
Our
of striking figures painted in the most vivid colours.
best engravings, if they are uncoloured, or our finest
miniatures or landscapes, are quite valueless in their eyes.
Though the Hindus much enjoy listening to music, and
introduce it freely into all their public and private cere-
monies, both religious and social, yet it must be admitted
that this charming art is here still in its infancy. I should
say Hindus are no further advanced in it now than they
were two or three thousand years ago. They do not expect
their musicians to produce harmonious tunes when they
play at their feasts and ceremonies, for their dull ears
would certainly not appreciate them. What they like is
plenty of noise and plenty of shrill piercing sounds. Their
musicians are certainly able to comply with their wishes
Such discordant noises are infinitely more
in this respect.
pleasing to them than our melodious airs, which possess
no charm whatever for them. Of all our various instru-
ments, they care only for drums and trumpets. Their
vocal music, too, is not a whit more pleasing to European
Their songs are chiefly
ears than their instrumental.
remarkable for uninspiring monotony and though they
have a scale like ours, composed of seven notes, they have
not tried to produce from it those harmonies and combina-
tions which fall so deliciously on our ears.
Why is it, it may well be asked, that it should be con-
sidered shameful to play on wind instruments in India ?
I suppose it is on account of the defilement which the players
contract by putting such instruments to their mouths after
they have once been touched by saliva, which, as I shall
show presently, is the one excretion from the human body
There is by
for which Hindus display invincible horror.
no means the same feeling with regard to stringed instru-
ments. In fact, you may often hear Brahmins singing and
accompanying themselves on a sort of lute which is known
1
.
;
1
Classes superior to the barbers
at the present time.
Ed.
ments
and Pariahs
also play
wind instru-