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Cosmetics, Costumes and Ornaments in Ancient India

by Remadevi. O. | 2009 | 54,177 words

This page relates ‘Materials for Garments (d): Grass clothes� of the study on cosmetics, costumes and ornaments of ancient India based on Sanskrit sources. Chapter one deals with cosmetics and methods of enhancing beauty; Chapter two deals with costumes, garments and dresses; Chapter three deals with ornaments for humans and animals. Each chapter deals with their respective materials, types, preparation and trade, as prevalent in ancient Indian society.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

1. Materials for Garments (d): Grass clothes

Grass garments were usually worn by hermits, ascetics, and those performing religious practices. Grass was also worn by those who had to fulfill a vow. Usually Darbha or ś grass was employed for making such garments. We have reference to ścīra in ʲñٰ[1] of . Similarly in ʰپñⲹܲԻ󲹰ⲹṇa[2], mentions a Darbhakṛtottarīya. A ś skirt was recommended for a sacrificer’s wife during the ceremony[3]. In ī쾱-峾ⲹṇa[4], , ṣmṇa and ī are depicted as clad in ś grass during their exile.

In addition to the above mentioned, we come across some other materials in Vedas and 󳾲ṇa. Some of them are , Barāsi, and Dūrśa. Of these ⲹ is a kind of silk and was usually used for religious purposes. Thus ⲹ was one among the dress of a sacrificer. According to one belief recorded in Atharvaveda[5], one should enter Yama’s abode being properly dressed. Hence to symbolise this, in those days a dead body was made clothed in ⲹ. In the view of Swaswatidas[6] and S.C Sarkar[7], ⲹ is prepared from the fibres of Baras tree. Tasara is another kind of material, which is referred to by Ჹś󲹰[8]. Dresses were even made of lotus filaments. In Ჹṣaٲ[9], we meet with 屹ٰī wearing such a breast cloth. It was tied in knots in Svastika form in between her breasts.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

I.16

[2]:

IV.2

[4]:

From the Vedas to the Manusaṃhitā, 104

[5]:

XVIII.4.31

[6]:

Social Life in Ancient India (SLAI), p.76

[7]:

Ibid

[8]:

NTAIS, p.78

[9]:

Ibid

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