A postally unused postcard that was published by Nestor Gianaclis Ltd. of Calcutta. The card was printed in Germany.
Although the card was not posted, someone has written a long message across the divided back of the card:
"May 22nd. 1918. Dear Marjorie, Thought you would like this card, as it looks a bit Indian, doesn't it. There are quite a lot of natives training to fight for Britain now. A good number left for one of the fronts last week. I have taken a photo of an old snake charmer holding his snakes up in his hand. He wanted me to give him 'Buckshees', which means something free - money, of course, before I took the photo. But, no thanks - photo first and Buckshees afterwards - Ha Ha Ha! I am sending it next time I write. How tall are you now, I should like to know. I weighed myself on a machine at the hospital last week & go just about 9 stone. I was 9 stone 12 lbs. in Durban S.A. so you see I am a bit lighter, Ha Ha Ha! Tat Ta, From your loving brother Douglas xxxxxx"
Benares
Benares, which is also known as Varanasi, is an Indian city on the banks of the Ganga (Ganges). It is the holiest of the 7 sacred cities of Hinduism and Jainism, and it played an important part in the development of Buddhism.
Benares is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It is the spiritual capital of India, and it is also known as the City of Learning.
Pandit Ravi Shankar (1920-2012) was born in the city. He was an Indian musician who was the best-known exponent of the sitar in the second half of the 20th. century.
In 1897 Mark Twain wrote of Benares:
'It is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together'.
The Ghats of Benares
A ghat is a flight of steps leading down to a river. There are nearly 100 ghats on the Ganges riverfront at Benares.
They are the city’s most iconic and celebrated image. For thousands of years these ghats have been the centre for religion, culture and commerce, offering an unrivaled panorama for visitors to the city.
You can walk the entire length of the ghats without interruption, but a boat ride on the Ganga allows you to fully appreciate the ghats from a little further away.
Scindia Ghat
Sindh or Scindia Ghat (Hindi: सिंधिया घाट) borders Manikarnika, a place of Hindu cremation, to the north. At this ghat, a tilted Shiva temple can be found lying partially submerged in the Ganges River, and it is believed that it collapsed under its own excessive weight.
The ghat is named after the Scindias, who built it in 1830. Above the ghat, several of Kashi’s most influential shrines are located within the tight maze of alleys of Siddha Kshetra (Field of Fulfillment).
According to mythology, Agni, the Hindu God of Fire, was born here. Hindu devotees propitiate at this place to Vireshwara, the Lord of all heroes, for a son.
An Aviation Landmark
So what else happened on the day that Douglas wrote the message to Marjorie?
Well, on Wednesday the 22nd. May 1918, the Handley Page aircraft was first flown.
The Axeman of New Orleans
Also on that day, Joseph Maggio, an Italian grocer in New Orleans, and his wife Catherine were murdered in their home while sleeping. The killer cut both of their throats with a razor and bludgeoned them with an axe.
Joseph survived long enough to be found by his brothers to report the attack. It set off a string of similar murders that terrorized the city until 1919 when the murder spree stopped. None of the serial murders has been solved.
For more detail about the axeman, please search for the tag 35ALL79
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