New History of the Marathas v1.c13.24

v1.c13.24

2. The Ceremony of his Coronation.—After all these preliminary rituals came the principal function, which took place an hour before sunrise on Saturday Jyestha Shuddha 13 corresponding to June 6, 1674, when Shivaji ascended the throne and the royal umbrella was held over his head. He was dressed in costly clothes and ornaments. His family priest Balam Bhatt, son of Prabhakar, acted as the Chief ministrant, conducting the religious part of the ceremony. Shivaji was weighted against gold and other articles which were given away in charity. His weight is mentioned to have been 16000 hons, which comes to about 140 lbs (1 hon=7/24 tola). English letters give his weight as 150 lbs, which shews that he was not at all inclined to obesity. Henry Oxenden, a relative of the President George Oxenden of Surat, who was present at Raigad on deputation from the East India Company on that occasion by invitation, has left a realistic narrative of what he saw and heard personally about this grand ceremony.