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the hundreds of rowboats. The images stripped of their crowns and glittering ornaments, perfunctorily dumped off the back of the boats without much ceremony as though they were trying to get rid of quickly, what a moment ago they cherished and praised. An anti-climax but a perfect ending, returned to the eternal dissolver of sins. Ganga to be dissimulated back into elemental matter. I felt no great religious fever or wonder or passion. Rather a [ILLEGIBLE: looks like "fevered"] search for excitement by the groups of young men whose clubs sponsor the images, an attempt to stir up excitement, this festival is probably dying like many other traditions in India, slowly lingering, decaying before one's eyes. Just something to look at like the dying cat in an alley surrounded by a crowd of young boys I came across last week. Staring unmoved at an animal twitching in its death throes. Just something to look at.

Bengali theatre company from Calcutta - large tent, square raised platform in center, 8 musicians, five on one side. 2 harmoniums, 2 brass, violin, 3 percussion on other side. Typical theatre in round. The play a historical drama with dancing, songs and music. Throughout lasting five long hours. The acting broad, eyerolling, overstated ham. But at least no amplification was used and the actors for the most part spoke clearly and loudly. The costumes were a bit wrinkled, the make-up overdone. The lighting fine. Large bulbs in reflection one in each corner and one hung overhead, the platform

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covered with white cloth, which as the performers progressed attracted thousands of insects of every variety. Entrances were made on one ramp placed near a corner of the square. The "show stopper" was the old chestnut of the old man imitating a woman doing a hip swinging suggestive dance played to the hilt by the comedian. The plot was involved to say the least with Moslems Hindus and capitalists at cross purposes. The capitalist was portrayed as a mustache twirling, drunkard with a whip in his hand, beating up the poor peasants, he rapes a young girl and then tells her to go become a "prose" Indian for prostitute. Vishnu also appeared as a young child complete with [ILLEGIBLE: looks like "charka"] to save a starving prisoner. So the play served up religion, social commentary, action (swordplay) music, songs, dance, love, history and 99 other varieties of human passion to a large Bengali speaking audience seated on the ground around the stage. Who seemed to enjoy most of it, though there was no applause at the end as the actors all came on stage the Indian national anthem was struck up which sort of ended everything.

Sept 11, 70

Talk with P.K. Agarawala son of eminent scholar of Sanskrit. He feels language is at root of Indian problems no national language and Indians being forced to write and teach in English over which they have no command. He feels all civilizations can only last for so many years and then must die and be replaced. That India has lived too long, several thousand years of the same culture. That Greece, Rome, etc. lasted only a few hundred years and died. He is pessimistic and talks tiredly of Indian troubles.