In the Mosque of Machii-Kaman
Possibly the earliest postcard of Hyderabad, by the Austrian artist Josef Hoffman who painted this scene during a visit to India in 1893-94 when he was in his sixties.
Religion
A Buddhist Priest, Ceylon
An unusual keyhole view by Plate & Co. The top part of the front of the card could also have been used for a message. Plate's Art Card series was distinguished for its rich use of color on a slightly embossed or corrugated halftone surface.
Naina Devi Temple
[Verso, handwritten] "Buddhist temple from which Naini Tal takes its name. Immediately behind this is the polo ground."
Gangavataran
[Original caption] Shankar receives the river Ganga on his head in compliance with the prayers of Bhageeratha. [end]
This image is from a famous painting by Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906), one of India's most important painters.
Bangalore. The Jumma Masjid Old Poor House Road.
[Original caption] The Jummas Masjid, Old Poor House Road. Jumma Masjid means "Friday Mosque" they say, and so it is not surprising that more than one Indian temple bears the name.
A Mendicant Friar of Behar
A mendicant is a beggar, one who depends on the goodwill of others to survive. Looking at this short gentleman, one can imagine that he probably had little choice with at least one club foot and two walking sticks to get around, slowly.
Jumma Masjid Bombay
Another exuberant, deftly rendered very early postcard by Paul Gerhardt, chief lithographer at the Ravi Varma Press in Bombay. Note the simply drawn mosque minarets, the colors that pull you in while the cart pushes out into the foreground space.
Bull Temple, Bangalore
This 16th century temple to Nandi, the sacred bull, was built by Kempe Gowda who also founded the city of Bangalore.
Sadh Bela Built in the Indus - Sukkur
Sadh Bela [Belo] is a small island in the Indus river next to the city of Sukkur, Sindh. On it is a Hindu temple complex initially built in the early 19th century and still the site of an annual festival. Published by the New Book Co.
A Mhamadan [Mohammadan] Mullah, N.W.F.P.
![A Mhamadan [Mohammadan] Mullah, N.W.F.P.](https://www.paperjewels.org/sites/default/files/styles/square_thumbnail/public/slides/mullah-2-3.jpg?itok=h_I8TBnC "A Mhamadan [Mohammadan] Mullah, N.W.F.P.")
The word Mullah owes its origin to the Arabic "mawla", or "guardian." A mullah is the Muslim equivalent of a priest or religious authority and guide.
