ANCIENT INDIAN COSTUMES

INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION:

At the bronze age in the Indian subcontinent began around

3300 BC with the early Indus Valley Civilization. Also
known as the Harappan civilization, It was centered on the
Indus River and its tributaries which extended into
the Ghaggar-Hakra River valley, the Ganges-Yamuna
Doab,Gujarat, and south-eastern Afghanistan. The
Indus civilization is one of three in the ‘Ancient East’ that,
along with Mesopotamia and Pharonic Egypt, was a cradle
of civilization in the Old World. It is also the most expansive in
area and population.

People of the Indus valley civilization had access to minimum

kind of fabric known to them and the the majority of them are

 Cotton

 Jute

 Silk

 Types of wool

What did poeple wear at the Indus valley civilization?

Clothing used by men

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Clothing by women

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As I said textiles are rarely preserved and back at those days the
Harappan figurines are usually unclothed, so there is not much
evidence of Harappan clothing. Small fragments of cloth
preserved in the corrosion products of metal objects show that
the Harappans wove a range of grades of cotton cloth. Flax was
grown and may have been used for fibers (alternatively it was
grown for its oil seed). Native Indian species of silkworm may
have been utilized for silk (inferior to Chinese silk), as they were
a little later in South Asia. It is not known whether the
Harappans raised woolly sheep, but their trade with
Mesopotamia probably brought them abundant supplies of
Mesopotamian woolen textiles.

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The Harappans also probably continued the earlier tradition of
making clothing from leather. Dyeing facilities indicate that
cotton cloth was probably dyed a range of colors, although there
is only one surviving fragment of coloured cloth, dyed red with
madder; it is likely that indigo and turmeric were also used as
dyes.

The limited depictions of clothing show that men wore a cloth

around the waist, resembling a modern dhoti and like it, often
passed between the legs and tucked up behind. The so-called
“Priest-king” and other stone figures also wore a long robe over
the left shoulder, leaving bare the right shoulder and chest.
Some male figurines are shown wearing a turban. Woman’s
clothing seems to have been a knee-length skirt. Figurines and
finds in graves show that Harappans of both sexes wore
jewellery: hair fillets, bead necklaces and bangles for men;
bangles, earrings, rings, anklets, belts made of strings of beads,
pendants, chokers and numerous necklaces for women, as well
as elaborate hairstyles and headdresses.

The only evidence we have is from iconography and figurines as

far as dress styles are concerned, and it is not sure that these
even represent what was worn by everyday people. Quite
possibly dress may have been based on lengths of cloth that
were folded and draped in different ways. Such cloth could have
been made of linen, cotton, or wool/animal hair.

Skins also may have been used for cold weather and to make
items like belts, quivers, etc. Reeds/straw may have been woven
for foot wear, although how often foot wear may have been used
is not known. Evidence comes not so much from preserved
textiles but from pseudo morphs preserved because of proximity
to copper and from impressions made into clay. An early form
of silk was used to string tiny beads and wound copper
necklaces.

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Ornaments
Both men and women wore ornaments made of gold, silver,
copper and other metals. Men wore necklaces, finger rings and
armlets of various designs and shapes. The women wore a head
dress, ear rings, bangles, girdles, bracelets and anklets. Rich
people wore expensive ornaments made of gold while the poor
had ornaments made of shell, bone or copper.

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Cosmetics
The ladies of Mohen-jo-daro were not lagging behind in styles
as used by the ladies of the present day, when it came to the use
of cosmetics and the attainment of beauty. Materials made of
ivory and metal for holding and applying cosmetics prove that
they knew the use of face paint and collyrium. Bronze oval
mirrors, ivory combs of various shapes, even small dressing
tables, have been found at Mohen-jo-daro and other sites.
Women tied the hair into a bun and used hair pins made of
ivory. Toilet jars, found at Mohen-jo-daro, show that women
took interest in cosmetics.

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.............................................................................................

ANCIENT VEDIC COSTUMES

The Vedic period or Vedic age (1500 – c. 500 BCE)

The period in the history of the northern Indian subcontinent between the end of
the urban Indus Valley Civilisation and a second urbanisation which began
in the central Indo-Gangetic Plain c. 600 BCE. It gets its name from
the Vedas, which are liturgical texts containing details of life during this period
that have been interpreted to be historical and constitute the primary sources for
understanding the period. These documents, alongside the corresponding
archaeological record, allow for the evolution of the Vedic culture to be traced
and inferred.
The Vedas were composed and orally transmitted with precision by speakers
of an Old Indo-Aryan language who had migrated into the northwestern regions
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of the Indian subcontinent early in this period. The Vedic society was
patriarchal and patrilineal. Early Vedic Aryans were a Late Bronze Age society
centred in the Punjab, organised into tribes rather than kingdoms, and primarily
sustained by a pastoral way of life.

During the Vedic era, a single cloth draped around the body, across the shoulder
was pinned or fastened with a belt and was considered a comfortable attire for
hot weather.

Paridhana or vasana was a lower garment which was a cloth draped around
the waist with a string or belt called as rasana or mekhala.  A shawl-like
garment worn over the shoulder was called as uttariya. Pravara, a third
garment was like a cloak mostly worn in cold months. This was a general
dressing for both men and women, which only varied in the style of wearing
and size. When stitching started during the Vedic period, for women sari was
the easiest attire to wear. Later on, a blouse or choli was also incorporated to
cover the upper part of the body. Ghagra choli and dupatta were also
introduced later during the Vedic period. Some of the sculptures revealed the
used of cloth on the lower body which was pleated in front and held with the
help of a long girdle. The girdle at time appeared to the end of the cloth, this
might have been a trailblazer to the modern sari. Vedic men were also known to
wear dhotis which draped around the waist and separated with pleats. No upper
garments were worn by men during the Vedic era.

*** [Buddha was born in the 6th century B.C., or as early as 624 B.C.
Some researchers believe he was born later, even as late as 448 B.C.
And some Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha lived from 563 B.C. to
483 B.C. So, the Ajanta Caves paintings which date from the 2nd
century BCE, tell of times of Budhha and tales of Jataka (past lives). So
the paintings reflect the costumes and jewelry of the times depicted –
which corroborate with the Vedic era.]

‘In the Middle Ages, under the influence of more luxurious habits, the Ria
transformed itself into a more elaborate bodice with short sleeves, which just
encircled the breast, leaving the waist free. We still see that bodice, in all its
glory, in Rajputana and in the United Provinces, and also amongst the people of
Gujarat.

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This bodice is called kanchuli or angia, and is usually worn with a thin veil
covering the upper portion of the body and passing over the head. In the seaside
resorts of Europe the “kanchuli” has been unconsciously adopted by the
fashionable devotees of sun-bathing.’

- Pratima Tagore, 1935.

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ORNAMENTS:

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Here is a list of Ancient Indian Jewellery (from Vedic period – to Gupta
period) supposedly worn in each part of the body starting from the head.
Please add to the list you find something missing. Many of these are in use
even now and many of them disappeared in the following periods and made
an emergence after a few centuries (Torque, Ratnavali) and a few like the
sitara, bindi have been included as a societal norm in the passage of time.
These Ornaments have not only been worn by women but also by
men (esp royalty) as seen from ancient sculptures, paintings and
frescoes.

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  List of Ancient Indian Jewellery/ Accessory from Head to toe:

Head
–Mukuta/ Kirita : a decorative tiara or crown

-Ratnavali / Ratnajali : from the elaborate tiara-like ornament around

the head, strands of pearls form a net over the hair-style; there is a central
ornament at the forehead from which are suspended strands of pearls.

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–Opasa : a simple fillet or headband

–Mauli – Decorative turban (not actually considered jewelry)

– Chudamani : lotus-shaped, its petals composed of pearls and precious

stones.Was worn normally in the centre of the knotted hair.

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......................................................................

Forehead
– Sitara: Star shaped ornament of gold or silver with a stamped pattern,
with or without the Bina. Worn below the parting of the hair and at the
center of the forehead

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– Makarika : fish-crocodile shaped and worn at the front parting of the
hair.

 – Bindi- a dot traditional made with kunkum or sindoor.

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.......................................................................

Ear

Earring or karnika – three types of earrings were present

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 Trumpet-shaped (Flower Shaped) – Karnaphul /KARNIKA

Disc Shaped – Dehri

Circle or Ring – Kundala

Karnika – Jimki/ Jumkha (shape of lotus seed-pod fixed upside down

like a tassel)

– Often Karnaphul was generically called Karnika

– In the later periods the karnaphul was dominated by ornamental rosettes
and the kundala with wire work and beads.

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– Bali: small earrings with suspended pearls; worn higher up on the ear.

......................................................

Neck

– Kantha : Short necklace of beads (usually heavy and flat)

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– Lambanam: long necklace of beads worn between the breasts –
sometimes with amulet boxes
Both Kantha & lambanam ranges from being 3 stringed to seven stringed –
usually made with gold/silver beads or pearls
– Tilari – 3 stringed
– Chaulari– 4 stringed
– Paklari– 5 stringed
– Satlari– 7 stringed

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– Hara : similar to lambanam called hara In the later periods

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– Phalaka: three or five slab-like gems, inserted at regular intervals to
hold together the several strings of which a necklace was composed, and
whole was called a phalakahara.

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– Yashti :A necklace of gems and gold beads

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– Nishka : Coin necklace

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– Mukatavali: necklace of one strand of small pearls. Suddha Ekavali : a
single strand pearl necklace with a gem at the centre; has ribbon ties.

– Sutra: chain for the neck. When made of gold with precious stones in
the centre, it was called Hemasutra (led to the MangalSutra meaning holy
chain).

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– Vijayantika : necklace of strings of looped pearls with precious stones.

– Vaikaksha: two long strings of pearls crossed at the chest.

– Atkan : bead necklace worn aslant over the left shoulder and under the
right arm(akin to the sacred thread).

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– Yajnopavita : sacred thread.

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– Torque: twisted wire necklace of Celtic origin.

.......................................................................................

Hands

– Baju Band/ Keyura: armlet with simple or elaborate patterns. Keyura

mostly had clasps while the baju band was mostly tie-up.

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– Kangan: bracelets of beads on each wrist (thick usually 3 – 5 strings).

– Valaya : bangles of glass, shell, or ivory sometimes with claps worn at

wrist.

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– Angada : Coiled snake like armlet.

– Anguliya : ring /

Ratnanguliya : Ring made with stones

..............................................................

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Waist/ Hip

– Mekala: Multi stringed beads hip belt (originally made from red seed
kaksha & then from gold/silver).

 – Patka (Pattika) : A strip of woven beads tucked in at the front of the
waist reaching the ankles – later became a shaped embroidered gridle of
cloth of gold.

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......................................................

Legs

Thigh:–

Pada-patra – Garter like ornament worn at the thigh.

 Feet:

– Kinkini – anklet with its small bells (Similar – Ghunghru).

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 – Nupura – simple cylindrical anklet – Maninupura – anklet made from
jewelled beads.

 – Sankla : anklets made of thick chains.

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 – Kara : Anklets of twisted wire worn on both ankles.

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 – Manjira : hollow and light, coiling several times around the ankles
loosely, and tinkling when in motion as it had gems inserted in the hollow
(Reference to Kannagi- Kovalan).

Materials used : Apart from Gold (hiranya and suvarna), silver (rupya)
and copper (tamra), a lot of gemstones/ ratna were used in Ancient Indian
Jewellery. These included carnelians’s, agates, lapis lazuli, amethysts,
garnets, coral, and pearls, rubies, Sapphires, topaz, diamonds and cat’s eye,
and crystals. Pearls and beads of all kinds including those made of glass
were used.
Besides this, the art of enameling, granulation, and filigree were known, as
well as inlay work in shell and mother-of-pearl. Gold beads were filigreed or
filled with lac, while others had cores of jasper and turquoise paste and
were strung on thread or wire to be worn as necklaces. Ivory was used
extensively to make combs, brooches, hairpins, boxes and other objects.
More often than not Embroidery took the place of jewels for its vibrancy
and light weight.

Special note:
Some additional outfits also evolved by the end of the Late Vedic Age. Saris and
blouses are also seen in the Ajanta paintings.
They are mentioned below:

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ON LEFT: A smaller part of its length was wrapped around the loins and its
half width was folded like a short skirt and the longer, let loose on the backside
trailing on the ground like a long majestic cloak.
ON RIGHT: The sari was also worn like the male dhoti or as the contemporary
langad-dhoti, a style of wearing sari still pursued in entire Maharashtra. The
sari was wrapped around the loins down to knees and one of its ends was
carried from under the two legs and was tucked behind.

Sometimes, the sari’s other end was thrown over one of the shoulders like a
sash.

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A full sleeve blouse has been designed with white front and back and tied-and-
dyed sleeves. Its front has pointed corners – an interesting feature that has
contemporary nuances.

Styles of wearing male uttariya are enumerable. A sash has its own beauty
when it is passed from under the right arm, is carried over the left shoulder and
is then brought down to the right hip.

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MAYURAN EMPIRE
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power based
in Magadha and founded by Chandragupta Maurya which dominated the Indian
subcontinent between 322 and 185 BCE. Comprising the majority of South Asia, the
Maurya Empire was centralized by the conquest of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, and its
capital city was located at Pataliputra (modern Patna).[14][15] The empire was

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the largest political entity that has existed in the Indian subcontinent, extending over
5 million square kilometres (1.9 million square miles) at its zenith under Ashoka.[16]
Chandragupta Maurya raised an army, with the assistance of Chanakya, author
of Arthasastra[17] and overthrew the Nanda Empire in c. 322 BCE. Chandragupta
rapidly expanded his power westwards across central and western India by
conquering the satraps left by Alexander the Great, and by 317 BCE the empire had
fully occupied northwestern India.[18] The Mauryan Empire then defeated Seleucus I,
a diadochus and founder of the Seleucid Empire during the Seleucid–Mauryan war,
thus acquiring territory west of the Indus River.

Textiles:
• There were also fine muslins often embroidered in purple and gold and
transparent material which came to be called shabnam (morning dew).
• The coarse varieties were used by the populace.
• Woollen cloth, avika, from the sheep’s wool was either pure white
(bleached) or dyed pure red, rose, or black.
• Blankets or kambala were either made by completing the edges with
borders or braids, or woven wool strips were joined together.
• The process of felting (pressing the fibers together, instead of weaving)
was also known.

Dye colors:
• Four primary color were recognized in the dyeing of textiles: red (dyed
with safflower ( kusum) and madder(manjishta)), white (through
bleaching), yellow (natural color of yarn and saffron), and blue (indigo
leaves).

Costume:
(Please Note: Visual reference of most of the elements below are already given
in previous pages. As mentioned there, many of these costume items were
persistent in Mayuran, Kushan, and Gupta period as well.)

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WOMENSWEAR:

Yakshi from Didarganj (ca 300 B.C.)

Antariya: langoti style small strips of cloth drawn between the legs and attached to a
cord at the waist.
Kachcha style, both equal ends being taken between the legs after knotting the front;
these ends are then held diagonally, fluted and tucked into the waist at the back to

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hang between the legs up to the ground.

Uttariya: There are two: one has an embroidered border and is worn crosswise over
the head with a jhalar (networking fringe) at the forehead; the other is draped across
the back and over both arms.
Worn across the chest and over the left shoulder

Kayabandh: Flat cloth band, pattika style, worn in a looped knot.

Drum-headed knobs at the ends, tied in a looped knot.

Mekhala: Four stringed beads hip belt.

Patka (Pattika): A strip of woven beads tucked in at the front of the waist reaching
the ankles

Atkan: bead necklace worn over the left shoulder and under the right arm.

Kangan: five bead bracelets on each wrist. Several bracelets on each wrist.

Baju Band: three row of beads on the upper arms. Armlets with elaborate incised
pattern.

Karnika: trumpet shaped earring

Lambanam: long necklace of beads

Kantha: Short necklace of beads

Sankla: anklets made of thick chain

Kantha: short neckalce called tilari (three-stringed); each string consists of
graduated pearls and a central gem

four-stringed: chaulari

five-stringed: paklari

seven-stringed: satlari
Mekhala: elaborate seven-stringed saptaki, the two outer strands are square,
interspersed with rows of beads across and aslant the hips in gold or hard stone, and
are early imitations of the strings of red rati seeds that were originally worn; the
pattika, a flat ribbon-shaped embroidered gridle of cloth of gold is also worn

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Styles of male and female antariya only slightly differed. As female
wear, its large part, almost one half or two thirds, was artistically
pleated into a decorative frill, which was tucked into the waist
band. Its other end was carried, from over the hips, to the right
arm and across it was thrown to let it trail to the ground:

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 A Stylistic Feminine Antariya (Lower Garment)

In female attire, a multi-stringed girdle substituted

Kayabandha(primarily for men). Sometimes a
beautifully pleated kayabandha was tucked over the
pleats of antariya for giving it a thicker look.

Nayika applying Kajal in Her Eyes

Mauli : turban of printed cloth held by decorative bands wound over the top knot of
hair and at the side of the head.
Long hair is twisted into a top knot at the left around which the  turban is wound so
as to completely cover it, an ornament heart shaped brooch is fixed on the right front
and a decorative band visible at the forehead is tied under the turban.

Menswear:
There are no records of turbans (Mauli) in the early Mayuran Period.

However, there were remarkable headdresses in which the hair itself was
often twisted into a braid along with the turban cloth.

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 • This twisted braid was then arranged to form a protuberance at the front
or the side of the head but never at the centre top, as only a priest could use
this style.

• Over the turban a band was sometimes used to hold it in place.

In addition, decorative elements like a jewelled brooch or a Jhalar (fringe) could be
attached to the turban, or one end folded in pleats and tucked in like a fan.

The Right Figure is identified as Agni, the Priest of the Gods, because
of the Central Protuberance of his Headgear.

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 Ivory Dhoti with Zari Border

In male attire, one end was pleated, though not as

artistically as in female wears, and tucked into the
fold of the antariya wrapped around the loins while
the other end was carried from between the two
legs and tucked behind. It was worn up to the lower
part of the ankles, not feet as in female attire. Its
length, too, was much less. Kayabandha was a
sash tied around the waist for securing the antariya.
Kayabandha was largely a male attire tied in
loop knots. It could be a simple sash, Vethaka. It
could have been one with drum-headed knots at the
ends, Muraja; or, a very elaborate band of
embroidered,flat-ribbon shaped Pattika (Patka)
with elaborate band of embroidery, composed of
many strings, or a knitted one.

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Male Figure with Elaborate Waistband

Uttariya was a long scarf-type textile covering the

upper half of the body. Uttariya, too, usually formed the
part of male attire worn either as a band tied over the
stomach or as one diagonally across the chest from the
right hip to left shoulder and across the back from left
shoulder back to right hip.

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....................................................
THE KUSHAN EMPIRE

[Kushan rulers are recorded for a period of about three centuries, from circa 30
CE, to circa 375 CE, until the invasions of the Kidarites. They ruled around the same

time as the Western Satraps, the Satavahanas, and the first Gupta Empire rulers. ]
The Kushan Empire ( Kushano; Sanskrit: Ku-shā-ṇa (Late Brahmi script), was
a syncretic empire, formed by the Yuezhi, in the Bactrian territories in the early 1st
century. It spread to encompass much of Afghanistan, and then the northern parts of
the Indian subcontinent at least as far as Saketa and Sarnath near Varanasi (Benares), where
inscriptions have been found dating to the era of the Kushan Emperor Kanishka the
Great. Emperor Kanishka was a great patron of Buddhism. He played an important role in the
establishment of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent and its spread to Central Asia and China.
The Kushans were most probably one of five branches of the Yuezhi confederation, an Indo-
European nomadic people of possible Tocharian origin, who migrated from Gansu and settled
in ancient Bactria.
The Kushans possibly used the Greek language initially for administrative purposes, but soon
began to use Bactrian language. Kanishka sent his armies north of the Karakoram mountains. A
direct road from Gandhara to China remained under Kushan control for more than a century,
encouraging travel across the Karakoram and facilitating the spread of Mahayana Buddhism to
China.
The Kushan dynasty had diplomatic contacts with the Roman Empire, Sasanian Persia,
the Aksumite Empire and the Han dynasty of China. The Kushan Empire was at the center of
trade relations between the Roman Empire and China: according to Alain Daniélou, "for a time,

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the Kushana Empire was the centerpoint of the major civilizations". While much philosophy, art,
and science was created within its borders, the only textual record of the empire's history today
comes from inscriptions and accounts in other languages, particularly Chinese.

An important observation:
During the reign of the Sunga (185
to 73 B.C.) and Satavahana (230
B.C onwards) rulers, boots, sandals
and leggings formed an addition to
costumes. This would affirm
the existence of footwear in
the times of the Kushans.

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THE GUPTA EMPIRE

The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire existing from the mid-to-late 3rd century CE to
543 CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 543 CE, it covered much of the Indian
subcontinent.[3] This period is considered as the Golden Age of India by some historians.[4][note 1] The
ruling dynasty of the empire was founded by the king Sri Gupta; the most notable rulers of the
dynasty were Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, and Chandragupta II alias Vikramaditya. The 5th-
century CE Sanskrit poet Kalidasa credits the Guptas with having conquered about twenty-one
kingdoms, both in and outside India, including the kingdoms of Parasikas, the Hunas,
the Kambojas, tribes located in the west and east Oxus valleys, the Kinnaras, Kiratas, and
others.[6][non-primary source needed]
The high points of this period are the great cultural developments which took place primarily
during the reigns of Samudragupta, Chandragupta II and Kumaragupta I. Many of the literary
sources, such as Mahabharata and Ramayana, were canonised during this period. [7] The Gupta
period produced scholars such as Kalidasa,[8] Aryabhata, Varahamihira, and Vatsyayana who
made great advancements in many academic fields.[9][10][11] Science and political administration
reached new heights during the Gupta era.[10] The period gave rise to achievements in
architecture, sculpture, and painting that "set standards of form and taste [that] determined the
whole subsequent course of art, not only in India but far beyond her borders"
..........................................

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