WHY DIDN’T THEY ASK MATHEW? There was fixed hypothesis over whether or not Agatha Christie ever got here to India, however by no means any proof, regardless that she was identified to be an avid traveller. Now, her grandson tells author Manjiri Prabhu that she positively had visited — not as soon as, however twiceSome mysteries have to be actively cracked, however some clear up themselves with time.There was fixed hypothesis about Agatha Christie’s India connection. One query has recurred over time, however has by no means actually been precisely answered: did Agatha Christie ever go to India? The web and widespread perception will state that she didn’t. I, too, had typically puzzled over how Christie, a world traveller, had by no means truly been to India. In actual fact, in a video in 2021, I had even concluded that she certainly hadn’t.Till one cool however sunny Easter day in Wales.In March 2024, I met Christie’s grandson, Mathew Prichard, and his pretty spouse Lucy, at their charming residence in Wales. Prichard, now in his 80s, had been very near his grandmother.It was a memorable day, but it surely turned momentous when Mathew confirmed me Christie’s private memorabilia — her passports, her first typed and edited manuscripts, uncommon pictures, her digital camera, and her final portrait portray, which held on one of many partitions of his home.When Mathew signed and gifted me a duplicate of his grandmother’s newest biography, I additionally realised what a mammoth process he had been entrusted with — to protect her legacy, and the way he had upheld that belief: a proud grandson of the Queen of Crime.It was after I talked about how unusual it was that Christie had by no means visited India, that he glanced at me with a twinkle in his blue eyes, and stated, “Oh, however she did!” I used to be startled. This was opposite to all that we believed. A couple of minutes later, as I skimmed by the quite a few black-and-white, well-preserved pictures, I discovered some that made my coronary heart race — footage of Christie with a garland, descending from an Indian Airways aircraft. Right here, lastly, was the lacking hyperlink to a long-standing puzzle.
Mathew Prichard (additionally in photograph proper), who’s settled the India query as soon as and for all, along with his grandmother Agatha Christie
I used to be on the edge of fixing an actual thriller, however I wanted to know extra. At my request, the archivist Joseph Keogh dug deeper and got here up with some fascinating, unpublicised info. Christie had certainly visited India — not as soon as, however twice. From her passport stamps, he traced her journey itinerary for the 2 journeys.Her first journey was in Jan 1960, when she visited Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka), then India and Pakistan. From Jan 11 to Feb 2, she travelled to Bombay (now Mumbai), headed to South India’s Madras (now Chennai), did some sightseeing on the Ajanta Caves, after which on to Delhi. Between Feb 2 and 9, she went to Nepal and returned to Patna and Delhi, lastly leaving for Karachi on Feb 17.Some letters had been additionally discovered that referenced her journeys. It appeared that the 1960 journey was for a lecture tour by her second husband, the archaeologist Max Mallowan.The next are extracts from two letters that Christie wrote to Edmund Cork in Cyprus, her literary agent and lifelong buddy.Jan 11, 1960 | Future plans are, roughly, go away for Madras as we speak — go through southern India to Bombay arriving seventeenth or 18th — Then some sightseeing close to Bombay Agenta Caves (sic) and so forth and on to Delhi after which to Nepal on Jan thirty first for every week — c/o British Embassy would discover us there as I’m undecided what the lodge is.Jan 20, 1960 | Our plans are a bit totally different for the time being as lodging at resorts may be very onerous to get precisely when one desires it however we will be out and in of the Ashoka Resort at Delhi between Jan twenty eighth and Feb 2nd — after which Nepal (c/o British Embassy Kathmandu) 2nd to ninth then out and in of Ashoka once more lastly leaving it on Feb seventeenth for Karachi. So ahead something you assume I must see to the Ashoka at Delhi — however nothing that I needn’t!!
One other letter was from Christie, then staying on the Ashoka Resort in New Delhi, to Rosalind, her daughter.Feb 16, 1960 | On our arrival right here yesterday night, a number of archaeologists had been ready with two porters and a great deal of archaeological materials from their… dig. The examination of similar intrigued the Ashoka company very a lot.Christie’s second journey to India, a 12 months later, gave the impression to be for leisure. The passport has a Palam, New Delhi stamp (month not specified) in 1961. This time she visited Srinagar in Kashmir and stayed on the Oberoi Palace. That is what she wrote to her daughter Rosalind:Oct 30, 1961 | Lake and mountains relatively pretty. This can be a Resort relatively like at Jaipur — transformed Rajah’s Palace — miles and miles of corridors — monumental rooms and we’re in a sort of supersuite trying over lake. It’s all terribly dried up by this time of 12 months — one ought actually to return in Could-June. Now one should be content material by wealthy beds of purple salvia and dahlias within the Resort backyard. Temp is about 50 at evening. Scrumptious sizzling solar to sit down in and about 60 in day. Fits me very properly. We made some excursions — to the assorted Mogul gardens — and to a lake… which may be very stunning and ringed with snowclad mountains. You may see the mountains now after the rain. We now have to depart right here and go to the Resort within the city — however count on that our reserving for Nov 2nd to Delhi can be all proper.
From Delhi, she wrote once more to Rosalind.Right here we’re within the Ashoka. I’m glad we had an excellent ten days and in an ideal Resort for previous women (only a few of them these days) the place I may sit, within the solar — and take a look at a view like a Japanese print. Pretty! The letters revealed Christie’s brilliant, chirpy character and tongue-in-cheek humour, her eagerness to discover India and her appreciation of scenic magnificence. She appeared comfortable to be in India.However I contemplated why her journeys weren’t well-known. Was it as a result of pictures had been a rarity then or as a result of she checked into the resorts in her husband’s title — or maybe just because Agatha Christie was a personal particular person?Regardless of the motive, I used to be thrilled with my discovery. That sunny day with Mathew, Lucy and Gwynnie the canine carried an additional fulfilling zing due to this thrilling revelation.I had all the time sensed a deep connection to Agatha Christie. However being the chosen one to unravel the thriller of her India journeys felt really particular.The writer is an award-winning author of thriller novels[Extracts and photographs used with permission from Mathew Prichard and The Christie Archive Trust. Special thanks to Lucy Prichard and Joseph Keogh of The Christie Archive Trust]
