Travels in India (Tavernier) 41.1.3

41.1.3

On the 18th [September], after a march of five hours, we arrived at Morimol. On the 19th we made 9 leagues, and halted at Santesela. On the 20th we made 9 leagues more, and slept at Goremeda (Goodymetta). On the 21st, after six hours of marching, we passed the night at Kaman. It was a frontier town of the kingdom of Golconda, before the conquest of that of Carnatic by the army of Mir Jumla, of which I have spoken in the preceding chapter. On the 22d we travelled 7 leagues, and slept at Emelipata. At about half way we met more than 4000 persons, both men and women, and more than twenty pallankeens, each of which contained an idol. They were ornamented with gold, brocade of gold and velvet, with fringes of gold and silver, and some of these pallankeens were carried by four men, others by eight, and others by twelve, according to the size and weight of the idols. On each side of the pallankeens was a man with a large round fan of about 5 feet in diameter, made of beautiful ostrich and peacock feathers of different colours. The handles of these fans were 5 or 6 feet long, and covered with gold and silver nearly of the thickness of a French crown (écu). Each one strove to carry these fans in order to serve the idol by fanning it, to prevent the flies alighting on the face. Another fan, which is somewhat larger, and which had no handle, was carried like a shield. It was ornamented with feathers of different colours, ranged round little gold and silver bells.