Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c8.s3.32

v1.c8.s3.32

In Vijayanagara times speed in travelling was secured by means of relays of Bōyees or palanquin-bearers. Vijaya Rāghava Nāyaka, son of the famous Raghunātha Nāyaka, used to go daily from his palace at Tanjore to the temple of Srīraṅgam which was at a distance of 3 āmaḍa (30 miles). He had fifty changes of Bōyees on the road, and used to start early in the morning at sunrise and return after worshipping the god after 16 ghaḍis (12.24 o'clock).³ But to the average citizens it must have been an age of tedious travelling. Nicolo dei Conti writes that "eight days journey from Bizenegalia (i.e., Vijayanagara)" was the "very noble city of Pelagonda (i.e., Penugoṇḍa)".⁴ According to 'Abdur Razzāq, it took eighteen days to go from the capital to the port of Mangalore.⁵