ExceptfortheMarabarCaves,whicharesomedistanceaway,thecityofChandraporeisnotatallextraordinary.ItsbazaarsrunalongthebankoftheGanges,hardlydistinguishablefromtherubbishleftbythatgreatriver.Itsstreetsarenarrow,itstemplesareunimpressive,andeverythinginitlooksasifitismadeofmud.WhentheGangesfloods,whichhappensoccasionally,housesfallandpeoplearedrowned,butthegeneralshapeofthetownremains,likesomelowbutpermanentlysurvivingformoflife.
Inland,thereisalargesportsground,andahospital.Therailwaystationisonasmallhill,andbeyondtherailwaythelanddropsawayandthenrisesagainsteeply.OnthissecondhilllivetheEnglishcommunity.Viewedfromtheirneatbungalows,Chandraporeappearsatotallydifferentplace–acityofgardens,atropicalforestwashedbyawideriver.Betweenthebungalowsarestraight,well-keptroads;ared-brickclubhouseandashopareconvenientlysituatednearby.Thereisnothingespeciallyuglyhere,butonlytheviewisbeautiful;theEnglishcommunitysharesnothingwiththecityexceptthearchoftheskyabove.
Byday,theblueoftheskyturnspaleandbecomeswhiteintheheat;afterthesunhasgonedown,orangemeltsupwardsintosoftestpurple.Butatnightitisblueagain,andthenthestarshanglikelampsfromanenormouslyhighroof.Therearenomountainsaround;thelandliesflat,risesalittle,thenisflatagain.Onlyinthesouth,whereagroupoffistsandfingersstandoutagainstthesky,istheendlessspaceinterrupted.ThesefistsandfingersaretheMarabarHills,containingtheextraordinarycaves.
除了距离市区一段路程的马拉巴山洞,昌德拉普尔市全无特别之处。市集沿着恒河河岸摆开,几乎与这条宏伟的河流带来的垃圾结为一体。街道狭窄,寺庙平淡无奇,每样东西看起来都像是用泥做的。恒河间或发水时,房屋倒塌,人员溺亡,但这座城的基本形态却屹然不动,就像是某种永恒存在的低等生物。
内陆有一个大型运动场和一家医院。火车站建在一座小山上。过了车站,地势陡降,随后又骤然上升。在第二个高坡上,就是英国人的社区。从他们齐整的独栋别墅往山下眺望,昌德拉普尔呈现出完全不同的面貌——一座花园城市,一片任宽阔河流冲刷的热带丛林。别墅之间是笔直整洁的道路;一所红砖俱乐部和一家商店位置近便。这里没有丑陋不堪的事物,只有美丽的风景。除了头顶的苍穹,英国人社区与这座城市再无共同之处。
白天,蔚蓝的天空在炙热中变得苍白。太阳落山后,橘色自下而上地熔化为*柔和的紫色。到了夜晚,天空重新回归为蓝色,此时的星星就像挂在极高屋顶的明灯。四周没有山峦,大地平坦伸展,偶有小的起伏。只有在城的南面,错落的拳指直指天空,这片无际的大地才被割断。这些拳指就是马拉巴山,山里有很多不同寻常的洞穴。