Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c18.s3.t2.25

v2.c18.s3.t2.25

Barradas narrates the events that happened in A. D. 1614 on the death of Veṅkaṭapati Rāya I : "Three days later the King died at the age of sixty-seven years. His body was burned in his own garden with sweet scented woods, sandals, aloes, and such like ; and immediately afterwards three queens burned themselves, one of whom was of the same age as the King, and the other two aged thirty-five years. They showed great courage. They went forth richly dressed with many jewels and gold ornaments and precious stones, and arriving at the funeral pyre they divided these, giving some to their relatives, some to the Brahmans to offer prayers for them, and throwing some to be scrambled for by the people. Then they took leave of all, mounted on to a lofty place, and threw themselves into the middle of the fire, which was very great. Thus they passed into eternity ".¹ Floris confirms him in his statement that the three queens of Veṅkaṭapati committed sati. Floris writes thus : "On the five and twentieth came the newes of the death of Wencatadrapa King of Velur, after his fiftie yeares raigne, and that this three wives (of whom Obyama Queene of Paleocatte was one) had burned themselves quickly with the Corps "².