elephants walking in the Van, while the generals and regiments of troops followed with their respective flags, artillery and band. The citizens had decorated their houses and roads in a manner worthy of the occasion. The housewives waved lighted lamps round him and showered fried rice, flowers, holy grass, &c, on his head. After visiting the various temples on Raigarh hill and offering adoration with presents at each, he returned to the palace.
On the 7th began a general distribution of gifts to all the assembled envoys and Brahmans and of alms to the beggars, which lasted twelve days, during which the people were also fed at the king's expense. The more distinguished pandits and sannyasis were not included in this alms-giving, as the men got only 3 to 5 Rupees and the women and children a Rupee or two each.
Probably the day after the coronation the monsoon burst, the rains set in with violence, and the weather continued wet for some time, to the intense discomfort of the assembled crowd. On the 8th, Shivaji took a fourth wife without any state or ceremony. Shortly before he had married*[1] a third. (Letter of Oxinden, 27 May ; Oxinden's Memorial under date 8 June.)
- ↑ * He took this third wife two days after his investiture with the sacred thread. Z. C. says that the marriage was celebrated with [Vedic] mantras, and we shall not be wrong in supposing that Shivaji made these late marriages in order to assert publicly his right as a 'twice-born' to hear Vedic mantras!
