Chandragupta Maurya and His Times c7.61

c7.61

**Washing of Hair.** According to Strabo, a great occasion at the court was the ceremonial washing of his hair by the king on his birthday, when people sent him "great presents, each person seeking to outrival his neighbour in displaying his wealth [XV. I, 69]." A form of presents favoured by the king was the "present of animals, even wild ones, like deer, antelopes, or rhinos, also birds like cranes, geese, ducks and pigeons. The Indians bring to their king tigers made tame, domesticated panthers, oxen fleet of foot, or the yaks, pigeons of yellow plumage, hunting hounds and apes" [Aelian, p. 144, McCrindle's *Ancient India*].