Ambience/ASMR: Maharaja's Royal Palace (Mahal), 18th Century India, 4 Hours

List of Sounds:
- avian court-singers of unparalleled artistry, whose ceaseless, lauding birdsong echoes from the forest surrounding the palace, so near to the glittering, filigreed halls and chambers that they consider themselves members, too, of the royal court
- cicadas ennobled as supporting instrumentalists for the regal birdsong serenade, males beating their tymbals like tablas -- a perpetual percussion that transcends rhythm -- and females stridulating a more subtle song, as on an accompanying sarangi
- the wafting of a breeze that travels the grounds with princely abandon, now rustling leaves on every woodland tree, now dancing through courtyards, now sweeping grandly through stairways and corridors
- the trumpeting of the maharaja's own riding-elephant, tasked with carrying the ornate howdah in which the maharaja sits in majesty for ceremony, hunting, and war
- a hawk crying out in eagerness for the thrill of pursuit, this keenly carnivorous raptor subdued by the art of falconry such that chase and capture themselves are her chief rewards
- the purring and growling of the royal cheetah, trained to seize large game in the extravagant spectacle of the hunt
- the maharaja's peacocks announcing themselves to the court, with the unfounded-and-vociferous vainglory unique to creatures chosen, kept, and prized not for utility but for beauty
- the sprightly but relaxed gait of horses ridden at a noble canter, these well-tended royal steeds too precious to bear any burden other than their royal riders; neighing born of a contentment known only to these elite equine brethren
- the melodious ringing and tinkling of passing bullock-carts; the occasional lowing of oxen
- footsteps that echo and resound through rooms cavernous with grandeur; the clattering wooden soles of padukas and muted tread of stiffened-leather juttis
- the jingling ankle-bells and jewelry of the court dancers to whom this room, like a pearl, was presented: it is here that masculine authority grants a space for the feminine, the artistic, and the cultured
- the expert, attuned gliding of Ayurvedic massage, offered to the dancers to ensure that their bodies and minds are ideal havens of vitality, all doshas in balance, in harmony
- the brushing and arranging of hair, worn sleek and long or simply gathered, all natural features becoming a refined, receptive canvas for opulent decoration
- the dressing-into, smoothing, straightening, and adjusting of courtly costume; the rustle and whisper of fine embroidered silks and sheer veils
- a striking of bare soles and rhythmic jangling (the dancers ornamented not only for beauty but for sound) as classical Indian dance forms are practiced, perfected
- the giggling of the dancers and the deep laughter of the maharaja, which springs below and through the diaphragm and thus signals not just restrained amusement but a true roar of delight
- the pouring of wine from an elaborately decorated, long-necked, round-bellied vessel into small, footed, and equally elaborate cups (balanced gracefully on a tray), the tiny goblets offering the pleasure of many opportunities to serve and be served
- the bubbling of a water-pipe, smoked with delectation
- the cadenced swishing of a chauri (fly whisk), an emblem of constant attentive care and thus of royalty
- the speech of a court official reverberating from an adjoining room, emphasizing again the palace's magnificent vastness; words and phrases drifting from the nearest-outdoors through the windows (the passing speakers only an arm's reach away, just barely beyond the wall, and yet a world removed)
- the royal procession of a visiting prince, whose heralding drums spread news of his arrival
- the dreamy strumming of a sitar, played only briefly, only rarely, and by the impulses of nonchalant & fainéant fancy, becoming thus the voice of aristocratic leisure

*

Question: What is an ambience video?

Answer: Soothing background images & sound for relaxation, study, play, or work; gently occupies an unfocused mind without causing unwanted distraction; personalizes sparse or sterile environments; enlivens spaces where we live or work alone; fills silence with more subtlety & warmth than music or TV; enhances interior design & personal style by turning screens into live photographic displays.

*

A NOTE ON ADS: This channel attempts to be ad-free & noncommercial, in resistance to ever-more-intrusive ads and unsustainable, dehumanizing consumerism. Any ads that may be visible are inserted automatically by YouTube, to my great distress: I have not authorized and receive no revenue from ads. My channel was established with the sole intention of sharing as an act of love & service.

I do not expect/intend to receive any personal gain; however, some viewers with a generous desire to donate have requested a method by which to do so. Thus, donations are accepted gratefully via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=MM7FB7ARAB7LE&source=url

Видео Ambience/ASMR: Maharaja's Royal Palace (Mahal), 18th Century India, 4 Hours канала Ambience of Yesteryear