India : Bombay to Cape Comorin

The Dyers made this film while traveling through India. It opens with footage of Bombay Harbor; the fishermen of the seacoast town of Manori are then observed at work, and the town itself is explored through street scenes and a shot of the Tomb of Rabia-ud-Daurani, which closely resembles the Taj Mahal. Preparations for the Pongal Festival, celebrating the seasonal change from winter to summer, are observed in Mysore. A survey of Indian temples includes a discussion of Hinduism, as well as glimpses of magnificent jewels and religious artifacts. Included in the Dyers' portrait of India are an exploration of irrigation methods; a series of dams constructed at Parambikulam used for irrigation and power generation; and a brief discussion of India's teak industry: trees are harvested and moved by elephants trained at a camp at Varagali. At Cape Comorin, the country's southernmost tip, the Tanjori Temple, the rock fort, and an animal sculpture garden at Stetopan are filmed, as are pilgrims in Madras. The Taj Mahal near Agra, and a procession to celebrate the engagement of the son of the Maharajah of Jaipur (complete with bullock carts, elephants, camels, and horses) conclude the film.