Part 39 - Chumbitang wedding and Gangtok travel notes with Tibet permit concerns

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SUMMARY:
Travel in rain from Karponang toward Gangtok is noted, alongside frustration with Williamson over inaction on Tibet permission. On 23rd May at Chumbitang, a well-attended wedding took place with ceremonies at the White Hall and lunch at the Residency, supported by the Maharani of Sikkim; Waters played the organ and the writer acted as official photographer.

CONTENT:
a little rain, below Karponang mist till near Gangtok, where it seems beastly hot and muggy. Mules came on well and were in by 1.0 p.m. Williamson has done nothing at all about our Tibet permission, and presumably will do nothing. He thinks of nothing and no one but himself, and his motto is undoubtedly 'Anything for a quiet life'; this attitude in any question one of complete inactivity for as long as possible.

23rd May. CHUMBITANG. 34 miles. The wedding was a great success, except that it rained all morning. W and I rode down to the White Hall accompanied by three bands. The Hall was beautifully decorated and was crowded with from 100 to 150 people. Waters was organist and played parts of three records on the gramophone. After it was all over we had an excellent lunch at the Residency at which about 40 people were present. Lunch was outside, under tents luckily, as it rained pretty hard. I had the Maharani of Sikkim and the Maharaja's sister, Tobgye's wife, on either side. They are both very nice indeed. The Maharani especially enjoyed the whole wedding, and took such a lot of interest in it. Three of her children and one of Tobgye's were train bearers and looked very well in Tibetan dress. She supplied spare cutlery, silver, crockery, chairs and anything that was wanted, including masses of flowers and the roses for the bouquet. Among other duties I had to perform that of official photographer, which was not too easy in the awful rush.