ertain places are noted for certain industries, as
Dakka for its fine muslin; Benares for its embroideries, etc. The muslin
weavers of Dakka can with their hands spin and weave fabrics which are
almost as fine as cobweb, and a person who is not accustomed to such
work would not be able to feel the thread between his fingers; but the
sensitiveness of the Hindoo spinner in Dakka has been developed to such
an extraordinary degree during a hundred generations that he is able to
perform works which would be perfectly impossible for others. I have
seen a garment presented to a Hindoo king which was so fine in texture
that, although it was a complete suit, it was folded up and safely
packed into a mango shell, which is only a little larger than an almond
shell, and thus presented. I have in my possession a little box two
inches wide and four inches long, made of sandal-wood and adorned with
fine carvings; all the edges are inlaid with pieces of ivory, in which
are again inlaid more than two thousand separate pieces of different
metals so skilfully put together that the joints can not be detected
even by using a magnifying glass.

In architecture the Hindoos also distinguished themselves centuries ago
by the erection of buildings which are still objects of the admiration
of the world. One of these master works of architecture is regarded as
the most beautiful ever erected by the hands of men. It is the Taj-Mahal
at Agra, a mausoleum erected by emperor Shah Jehan over the remains of
his wife, Bengos Begum, who died in 1630. "During a period of seventeen
years after her death Shah Jehan collected building material of marble
and precious stones to be used in the construction of the mausoleum. All
parts of India contributed to this, as did the different parts of the
Holy Land to the temple of Solomon, and its estimated cost is
twenty-five million dollars. It is built in Moorish style, with slender
pillars, and its majesty and beauty profoundly impress the beholder.
Many buildings in the world excel this temple in size, but none can
rival it in ideal beauty and finish. It looks more like a temple of
thanksgiving and praise than an abode of sorrow, and the spirit of love
seems to fill its silent chambers, quickening and warming the cold
marble and transforming the whole building into a dream, into a psalm in
stone. It is rich in mosaics, and precious stones of different colors
assume the shape of fresh vines and living flowers. There