"The Sun in December" by Emil Braginsky, summary Automatic translate

Published in 1969, this travelogue chronicles the actual route of a Soviet writers’ delegation across the Indian states. The writer, the unnamed group leader, and a translator traveled through the largest metropolises and remote villages of the Hindustan Peninsula. This book is a meticulous documentation of the everyday contrasts, transportation infrastructure, and theatrical arts of the newly independent state.

Preparing for the trip and arriving in Delhi

Preparing for a trip abroad is invariably accompanied by pre-departure fever. Prospective passengers buy souvenirs, nervously weigh their luggage, and get mandatory vaccinations. The travelers depart on an IL-62 jetliner, two weeks late. Black caviar is served on the plane, and outside the window, a sunrise unfolds over the Himalayas, invisible due to a deep sleep. Delhi welcomes its guests on November 28, 1967, with cool weather — the thermometer drops to 14 degrees Celsius.

The city immediately reveals striking urban contrasts. Official New Delhi is lined with government buildings and embassy mansions with hexagonal intersections. Old Delhi deafens with the noise of narrow alleys, crowded bazaars, and an abundance of horse-drawn transport. Sacred cows wander near shops. Enormous vultures forage in garbage dumps, and cheeky crows fly right into hotel rooms and steal matchboxes.

At night, Old Delhi is shrouded in the acrid smoke of bonfires. Thousands of homeless families sleep on the dirty sidewalks and in the chilly halls of the Old Railway Station. Smugglers also bring in alcoholic beverages here, violating the government’s prohibition laws. The new residential areas are more prosperous. Postal worker Labh Singh receives guests in a cramped two-room apartment, treating them to sweet katushki and roasted pistachios. Sikhs wear steel bracelets, hair combs, and daggers, strictly adhering to traditional customs.

Mughal architecture

A tour of the historical monuments begins with the Qutb Minar tower. The minaret, reaching 72.5 meters in height, dates back to 1199. A stainless iron column stands in the courtyard of the ancient complex. The Red Fort is protected by high double walls of solid red sandstone. The winding interior corridors were designed to protect the fortress from massive attacks by war elephants.

Inside are elegant marble palaces with carved latticework. Shah Jahan’s precious Peacock Throne once stood here. British colonial soldiers used sharp bayonets to pry sapphires and agates from the marble inlay. During the massive Sepoy Mutiny, the occupiers converted the Red Fort into a torture chamber.

The writers’ delegation’s route leads to Agra. The train covers the 204 kilometers in three hours. Agra is home to the world-famous Taj Mahal. Emperor Shah Jahan built this marble masterpiece for his late wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The building is visually weightless. The inlaid Ceylon marble sparkles with patterns of poppies and lotuses. An octagonal marble tower remains in Agra Fort. It was there that Aurangzeb imprisoned Shah Jahan’s deposed father. The deposed ruler admired the tomb of his beloved wife through a diamond lens.

Akbar’s former capital, Fathpur Sikri, is built of red stone. The city was long abandoned due to a severe shortage of drinking water. The tomb of Saint Selim Chishti stands tall in the center of the stone square. Childless pilgrims tie woolen threads on the marble lattice, praying for a child. Along the way, travelers encounter vultures feasting on a camel carcass and noisy wedding processions. The tour concludes with a visit to an abandoned Christian cemetery. The marble tombstones of the colonizers have been blackened by the tropical humidity.

Flight to the south and the Madras cyclone

Domestic civil aviation flights are experiencing significant delays. Due to the lack of available aircraft, waits at the airport can last for hours. The French liner Caravelle delivers passengers to Madras late at night on December 5th. Those greeting them place heavy garlands of fragrant roses around their necks. The thermometer registers a warm twenty-five degrees Celsius. The city stretches along the Arabian coast. Purple buffalo roam the streets, and fishing catamarans with sails made of scraps of coarse cloth head out to sea.

A powerful cyclone interrupts a tour of Madras. Squalls rip apart trees, torrential rain washes away asphalt roads and floods the flimsy huts of waste collectors. The transportation system is completely paralyzed. The leader of the delegation falls seriously ill due to the abrupt climate change. Local doctors insist on hospitalization. The professors decide to immediately send the patient to Moscow. The remaining members of the group continue their work in southern India without supervision.

Theatre and cinema life

Bombay and Madras are considered major centers of the film industry. A special screening of the commercial hit "Nine Nights" is being held at Madras’s Jamini Studios. Renowned actor Sivaji Ganesan plays nine diverse roles, masterfully transitioning between them. On the soundstage, Ganesan is filmed in a golden royal costume and presents a Soviet guest with a stage ring. Later, Rajendra, another popular Madras actor, invites foreigners to his sister-in-law’s morning wedding ceremony.

Classical theater arts are taught at the Kalamandalam School in the remote village of Cheruthuruthy. Learning the ritual mime of Kathakali requires rigorous physical discipline. Classes begin early in the morning with eye exercises. Without elaborate makeup or costumes, using only facial movements, Padmanabhan Nair depicts the flight of a bee, the gait of a timid deer, and the might of an elephant. The artist’s facial expressions shift instantly from rage to compassion, demonstrating phenomenal physical agility.

Ancient shrines and colonial legacy

The Mahabalipuram coastal rock complex contains five monolithic ratha temples. The structures are carved from solid granite blocks. The architectural complex was created during the reign of the Dravidian Pallava dynasty. The gigantic stone bas-relief "Descent of the Ganges," 27 meters long and 9 meters high, contains 153 figures of living creatures. Ancient sculptors carved a herd of elephants, leopards, and ascetics with stunning anatomical precision. The coastal granite temple has steadfastly withstood the impact of salty ocean waves for 1,200 years.

The state of Kerala is renowned for its endless coconut plantations and high literacy rates. The cities of Cochin and Ernakulam are separated by a bay. Travelers arrive here by train with significant delays and spend a long time searching for a host. In Cochin, there is a Catholic church dedicated to St. Francis, built by the Portuguese in 1510. Inside lies the empty tombstone of Vasco da Gama. The explorer was known for his unprecedented cruelty, cutting off the noses, lips, and ears of Indian captives. Local Christians fish with cumbersome Chinese nets.

Bombay Earthquake and Departure

The journey concludes in Bombay, a city of six million. A powerful earthquake strikes overnight. The tremors destroy the power station in the town of Koinanagar. The metropolis is left without power, and factories are shut down. Meetings with Indian playwrights take place by the light of guttering candles. The renowned director Raj Kapoor hosts a birthday reception on the grounds of his country house. The garden is lit by autonomous gasoline generators. Bengali director Satyajit Ray is present at the celebration.

The final excursion takes place on verdant Elephanta Island. Under a pouring cold rain, the boat crosses the restless Bombay harbor. Massive sculptures of the Hindu pantheon are carved into the mountain caves. A six-meter-tall, three-faced Shiva embodies the hypostases of creator, destroyer, and protector. The face of the protector Shiva radiates human kindness and a calming peace. The Mani Bhavan Memorial House on Laburnum Road carefully preserves the memory of Mahatma Gandhi. The words "There is Truth" are carved on a stone slab. The politician spun cotton yarn here, promoted a campaign of mass disobedience against the colonialists, and steadfastly fought for the independence of his native country. A Bombay yoga clinic successfully treats patients for asthma and insomnia. The writer returns home, taking with him vivid images of a contrasting India.