![]() ![]() ![]() Half the enchantment of the place was due to the fact that it did not have the benefit of municipal lighting. The astrologer transacted his business by the light of a flare which crackled and smoked up above the groundnut heap nearby. A considerable portion of this crowd dallied before the astrologer too. Next to him in vociferousness came a vendor of fried groundnut, who gave his ware a fancy name each day, calling it “Bombay Ice Cream” one day and on the next “Delhi Almond,” and on the third “Raja’s Delicacy,” and so on and so forth, and people flocked to him. A variety of trades and occupations was represented all along its way: medicine sellers, sellers of stolen hardware and junk, magicians, and above all, an auctioneer of cheap cloth, who created enough din all day to attract the whole town. A surging crowd was always moving up and down this narrow road from morning till night. He sat under the boughs of a spreading tamarind tree which flanked a path running through the Town Hall Park. People were attracted to him as bees are attracted to cosmos or dahlia stalks. To crown the effect he wound a saffron-coloured turban around his head. ![]() The power of his eyes was considerably enhanced by their position placed as they were between the painted forehead and the dark whiskers (mustaches) which streamed down his cheeks: even a half-wit’s eyes would sparkle in such a setting. His forehead was resplendent (glorious) with sacred ash and vermilion, and his eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal gleam (shine) which was really an outcome of a continual searching look for customers, but which his simple clients took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted. Punctually at midday, he opened his bag and spread out his professional equipment, which consisted of a dozen cowrie shells, a square piece of cloth with obscure mystic charts on it, a notebook, and a bundle of Palmyra writing. Read the extract and complete the activities given below: ![]()
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