641 PICTURES AND Pj^N - PICTURES

belLs of the temples and the bustling crowds conbine
to make of bins quarter a centre of noise, and vehicles
of all kind^ from the humble hand-cart to the luxurious
Ihucmnino add to the din and confusion, while hawkers
add the lasfc touch. Ear and mind gather impressions
of aighfc and sound in an indescribable confusion.

The finale is the spectacle of speculators who como
to try their hand at converting overnight the small
mm of money which they possess into a handsome
fortune* Cotton prices, their rise and fall, are closely
rolafced to the lives of these men. At times they work
fchomneIvcH into a frenzy, or may be they are hounded
by Vie police—either way the scene is a pandenomum
bcsfc olmerved between the hours of six in the evening
and Iwo after midnight!

Crowning a knoll whose rocky base is washed, by
the wives of fcho Arabian Sea that skirts the island of
Bombay sfouids the temple of the famed goddess,
M^lMUakshmi; the site itself, obviously, gave its name
to tlio neighbourhood, the locality o! Mahalaxmi of the
Bombay of our day. A panoramic view from the
temple. proHenta to tlie oye fche entire locality including
tilio modem race course of the Western India Turf Club,
popularly known as the Mahalaxmi Eace Course.
Pilgrims come to pay their homage to Mahalaxmi on
feho loioll, as they have always done; fche race course of
MaJmhixmi draws crowds now as it has done since fche
ilmi mooting of the Tnrl Club. So, crowds come to the
locality of M aJialaxmi, but who gets the deeper content-
moirt, ilio pilgrim or the punter, pray ?

TIio concrofco roads from Mahalaxmi lead either to
Worii Soa l^aco, MalaAar Hill, or Chowpatty and. Marine