ACT I
 

The story takes place in nineteenth-century India, whereas everyone knows—the British were riding high, wide, and handsome. When the opera opens, the priest Nilakantha is in his sacred garden exhorting his followers to await the day when the British shall be driven from the land. Off-stage, comes the voice of his daughter, Lakme, and gradually her voice grows stronger, as she comes on stage and leads the men in their prayer to the god Siva.
 

When the prayer is over, everyone leaves the garden excepting Lakm6 and her slave Mallika, who, together, oblige with a charming barcarolle in thirds. Because they are planning to bathe, Lakm6 removes her jewels and places them on a bench before shoving off in a boat with Mallika.
 

Now there are visitors of another sort. They are two British officers—Gerald and Frederick—their friends from home, Ellen and Rose, and, as a chaperone, the young ladies' governess, Mrs. Benson. All five break into the garden, even though they know they have no business there, to admire the beautiful white flowers. These flowers—naturalists call them datura stramonium—ate poisonous, and on the warnings of Frederick the party does not touch them. We shall hear more of them in the last act.
 

Happening on Lakme’s jewels, Gerald is so enchanted that he stays on to make a drawing of them when the others leave. Here he has his charming aria Prendre le dessin d’un bijou.
 

Naturally, as Gerald is the leading tenor, Lakme returns and finds him there. And as Lakme is the leading soprano, the two must fall in love at first sight. And as they fall in love at first sight, a love duet must be sung. But this love duet is a little different, for Lakme keeps warning Gerald that if he is found in the garden, he may very well be killed. At first Gerald cannot take this warning seriously. After all, he is an officer in the army of Queen Victoria. But finally Lakme persuades him to leave, and it is only just in time. For Nilakantha returns with his followers and, outraged by the desecration of the holy garden, vows that the man who was there must die. The other Hindus take up the cry of vengeance.