Travels in India (Tavernier) 135.5

135.5

He is seated on an elephant and his bride in a carriage, all who accompany them having torches in their hands. He borrows, moreover, for this ceremony from the Governor of the place and from other great nobles among his friends as many elephants as he can, together with show horses, and they march about thus for a part of the night with fireworks, which are thrown in the streets and open spaces. But one of the principal outlays is in the Ganges water, for those who are sometimes 300 or 400 leagues distant from the river; for as this water is considered sacred, and is drunk from religious motives, it has to be brought from a great distance by the Brahmins in earthen vessels glazed inside, which the Grand Brahmin of Jagannath has himself filled with the cleanest water in the river, and has subsequently placed his seal upon it. This water is not given except at the end of the repast, as I have before said; for each of the guests three or four cupfuls are poured out, and the more of it the bridegroom gives them to drink so is he esteemed the more generous and magnificent. As this water comes from so far, and the Chief Brahmin charges a certain tax on each pot, which is round and holds about as much as one of our buckets, there is sometimes 2000 or 3000 rupees worth of it consumed at a wedding.