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CHAPTER II I COSTUME# TEXTILE and Footi-JEAR CHAPTER II CHAPTER II I COSTUME# TEXTILE AND FOOTi-JEAR CHAPTER II COSTUME TEXTILE AND FOOT VJEAR ■............ ' " ' - I 1 ^ 1. — Sunga sculptures depict a bewildering variety ©f dress styles of the contemporary people* Costxames# in general# reflect the intricate system of social ethos# and m o d e m researches have shown that this is rather a complicated subject to analyse. The styles undergo constant change as the notion of the people changes and the speed# again, is varied at various levels* The fashion experiences an aimless vibrancy in a rather superficial level - while a style# accepted as the norm of a culture sustains f©r a longer period^* Keeping it in view# the garments depicted in Sunga sculptures are divided into various types* It is not that only the mode of wearing is considered while grouping them, but also their having a social connotation different from the other modes of wearing* All kinds of variations within a particular type are explored and grouped into distinct varieties# whatever significance that can be attached to them regarding the social# ritual# functional and other such aspects will be discussed in due context* Human body was considered by the‘contemporary tradition as vastra~yugika (that to be adorned with two clothes)^* Though the sculptural representations do not 7G usually centradict it, there seems to be a drastic change \inder process in the Ganga valley cities* Lover garment (nivasana or antarlya) Lower garment is divided into sakaccha and vikaccha types* The third type includes skir"t-like garments* Other peculiar types are given separately* Lower garments of the primitive kind are described under the heading 'Primitive types'* Sakaccha This is formed by a long piece of cloth (sataka) wound r^und the waist and knotted or tucked in at the navel; its one end is taken back in between the legs and tucked in at the back while the other end is pleated which dangles at front* This mode is called SaitiveIliya in the Cullavagga^ or kadcha-bandha elsewhere^* Patanjali terms it as upasaAvyana^* Its appearance is just like the modem dhoti* This garment is most frequently shown in Sunga sculptures# that too regularly in sculptures from Barhut and Sanchi stupa II* It was of many varieties* I The first variety includes those garments which reach little below the knees; an extremely ornamented pleat is hung at the front in between the legs that reaches the ground (Fig* 1 & 2). It seems that this was 7 7 the most fashionable variety of the sakaccha type. A close observation of sculptures would reveal that some­ times the pleated arrangement was an artificial appendage t® the main garment while in other illustrations it was the surplus end of the garment itself* Motichandra probably refers to the former variety when he calls it a patka,♦ a decorated piece of cloth tucked in the kamarbandh^. The same is identified with paryastaka by 7 Pramod Chandra • It is not simply a decorated piece of cloth# as in few examples it seems to be very stiff (Fig, 3)* Here an important reference from the Cullavagga has to be citedj it describes how the nuns were influenced by the fashions of house-holders which led them t© use artificial flounces (pasuka) with waist bands. Such flounces are said to be made of bamboo strips, leather strips, strips of cloth, plaited, fringed, woven stuffs#, 0 etc. • Warriors wearing chain mails are also shown with the patkas (Fig. 4) which allowed protection in battle. It was in arranging the surplus part that the charm of this garment was exploited, and that made all the t difference. The folds are referred to as nivi in Sanskrit literature. The later Vedic literature tells that vratyas displayed the hanging ornamental fringe while others simply tucked up them (tusa)— 9. The Cullavagga mentions different types of fashionable arrangement of folds. They are termed as hattis\andaka (like an elephant’s trunk), maccha-valaka 78 (like a fish tail), talavantaka (like palmyra whisk)# Satavallika # ♦ - (hundred jungle ropes) and catukannaka (four cornered) ♦ » Sivaramamurthy has illustrated the sculptural counterparts ©f such terms while dealing with Amaravati sculptures^^* In many cases we can correlate them with sculptural representations ®f the Sunga period# and there is no doubt that the Sunga artist intended to portray a large variety of pleat arrangements. The variety of garment under discussion is associated with yaksha and yakshi figures# royal personages and those persons whom artist considered important. It seems that this variety was preveilent throughout the Sunga period. The stone sculptures from Barhut# Bodhgaya# Kausambi, BulandshaJ^ar# Rajasan, Vidisa# etc and terracottas from: various places show the persons of above class wearing this variety of sakaccha garment. Thus we can say that this variety of sakaccha garment was in vogue among both male and female sections of the royal and higher classes in the society. Even the common people are shown wearing this garment with a modest way of pleat arrangements which, due to lack of space# is not carved in the sculptured panels (Fig, 5), It seems that a modest way of wearing this garment was expected in public interactions. As the classical Greek writers observed# Indians commonly wore the lower garments 12 reaching below the knee# halfway down the ankles , 79 In the same variety can be seen some other styles ©f wearing without any pleat arrangement. In one example the extra portion is gathered and tightly taken back to be tucked in behind (Pig, 6), This manner of wearing the lower garment is shown in Gandhara sculptures and# according to Ghurye# it might be fairly common in the extreme north-west region^^. Another style of wearing this garment was closely wrapping the garment around the legs, which appears like a shorte^^ (Fig, 7), Few Bodhgaya sculptures depict such a style where waist band itself is seen hanging in a different fashion in between the legs (Fig, 8)* II The second variety of sakaccha type is a narrow piece of cloth, just covering the thighs;sometimes with a hanging pleat and sometimes without it. In many representa­ tions it covers half of the thighs thus can be identified with axdhoruka. Before discussing other sub-varieties of this garment#, a most frequently occurring style of wearing should be mentioned here (Fig, 9 & 10), This style dominates almost all the lower garments depicted in 5anchi stupa 11# and a considerable number of Barhut representations. The sculptures depicting such garments in Barhut exhibit a stylistic difference from other sculptures of that monument. And that is the usual style at Sanchi, Most probably the artists belonging to the same tradition carved all these 80 sculptures who might have belonged to Sanchi region* It Is not the only feature that causes difference, the very way of wearing this garment seems to be different. The garment seems to be worn with the help of a kati suttaka* One end taken behind to tuck in, while the other end is taken inside the cord at the navel and twisted transversly to be hung from inside. The surplus end at the front is hung from outside also (Fig. 11). Nowhere, the pleats are manipulated lengthwise as in the first variety. This garment is too short to be arranged elaborately. This mode is commonly shown worn by laymen and nymphs at Ranchi while at Barhut it is extremely rare among the people belonging to the upper strata of the society. Thus this particular style looks more archaic, and prevalent in central India, which is not to be seen in later sculptures. Even at Sanchi itself there are a few sculptures added after a gap of a century which show the longer varieties of sakaccha (Fig. 12), The sculptures depict ardhoruka, a short garment exposing a part of the thigh, throughout the Sunga period and we can see it even in the stibsequent period, Buddhist texts may refer to such tightly tucked, short sakaccha mode when they use the word samvelliya. The samvelliya is described as the style used by wrestlers and workers^^. 81 Such garments worn by the wrestlers (Fig# 13), workers, boatsmen (Fig* 14), dwarfs (Fig. 15), and even Buddhist monks in cloister (Fig. 16) corraborate the literary descriptions. This was rather functional than anything else. It is quite obvious that this type of garment did not hinder movement which was essential in hard work, sports and fighting. The Jataka stories mention the dress of archers where the kaccha was tied tightly^^. Since it exposed parts of thighs, it might have been prohibited by the Vinaya texts for monks and nuns* III Alongwith the above two varieties, another variety of this garment also existed. Here the lower end was drawn right upto the ankles or feet* It seems that this was due to a sense of decency among the men and women of upper sections of the society* In Besnagar sculptures dated; to IT 3rd jZJ B*C* by cunningham , some laymen, most probably I priests, are shown wearing a loose garment, with hasti sundaka ' » • type ©f pleats, reaching the feet (Fig* 17)* A few women in Bodhgaya sculptures (Fig* 13) and in some terracottas are shown wearing this variety* Patanjali, while dealing with - - 18 satakas,. uses an adjective aprapadina , a garment worn upto the feet, which indicates the same variety* It is clear that none of the above mentioned varieties were used exclusively either by men ©r women* 82 IV There is a fourth variety in the sakaccha type which was worn only by women* Here the garment is secured high up on the waist and many times just below the breasts# thus covering the abdomen and the navel* This garment usually reaches the ankles.
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