Riyaz al-salatin 4.8

4.8

especially bathing at certain ghats of the Ganges, such as Benaras, Alahabad, and Hardwar, is regarded as very sacred. The rich amongst the Hindus, getting their supplies of the Ganges water from long distances, take particular care of it, and on certain auspicious days, worship the same. The truth of the matter is, that the water of the Ganges, in sweetness, lightness, and tasteness has no equal, and the water of this river, however long kept, does not stink. There is no river bigger than it in Bengal. And another of the big rivers of Bengal is the Brahmaputra, which flows from the regions of Khata towards Koch, and thence by the way of Bazuha flows down into the sea. In the environs of Chittagong, it is called the Megna. The smaller rivers are countless. On both banks of most of the rivers, paddy is cultivated. Another feature of this country, unlike that of other countries of Hindustan, is that they cut grafts of mango and lemon-trees, and plant them, and these, in the very first year, bear fruit.