Ancient Indian Life Style


A collection showing the life-style of ancient Indians - the hair style, clothing and fashion, generally based on sculptures.
   
The picture below shows the hair-style of men & women in India during Sunga Period (100-200 BC).
 

 

Discovery of these earrings provided first tangible evidence that jewelry depicted by sculptors was in fact based on real models, for a very similar pair is shown on a first century B.C relief of chakravartin from Jaggayapeta

Presently @metmuseum

 

 

 2nd-1st century BC,

Shunga period female beauty of Eastern India in terracotta.

Presently at Ethnological Museum, Berlin.

* Headwear?

* Richly ornamented 

* Showing ear ring?

* Long skirt is also carved

* Seems she is wearing a Gown?

 

Ear Ornaments (Prakarvapra Kundla),1st cent BC India.

Made of 18kg Gold in 3 forms,sheet, wire & granules & lion & elephant motifs.

Old ornaments were not reused but melted down to avoid transmission of Karma hence, the pieces are rare.
One cannot wear 18kgs of gold on the ear. They must have distended the earlobes and rested on the shoulders of the wearer. How they were worn is still uncertain.
Presently @metmuseum US.

 

 

SALABHANJIKA : From a gateway, Sanchi

Dated: ~2nd century BCE
Here she is depicted standing under a mango tree and holding a branch of tree. Mango tree is also associated with Yakshi(s).
Note very fine and 'modern' looking hairdo.

 

 

* Some women in the Harappan Sarasvati Civilization wore skirts.

*    See the head-gear


The image is from National Museum, Delhi. Labeled - "Standing figure of the Mother Goddess"
C. 2700-2100 BCE

 

 

 Gupta Period Sculpture:

“Churidar Pajama”
millenniums before Mughals / Islam touched our land.

 

 

A woman applying KAJAL to her eyes!

Khajuraho temple.

Also, don't miss the woman in minor figurine. She is carrying a PURSE!
Kajal & purse have been around in India for thousands of years.

 

 

 A great heritage.

Beautiful terracotta Shunga period. 1st C-BCE
Seems to be a royal lady adorning ornaments decorated headwear. But even Nagar-wadhu were highly decorated? Presently at metmuseum US.

 

 

 Humor in sculpture.

"Beware, don't get a bulge".

 

 

 Woman writing letter.

10th Century A.D ( 1000 Years Old )
Chandela Dynasty, Khajuraho

 

 

 Extremely detailed anklets at Chennakeshava Temple in Karnataka.

 


The Kakatiya Ramappa Temple (1213 CE) in Telangana has statues with high heels.

But, some say they are platform पादुका or खडाऊं that both men and women wore all over India.

 

 

One of the paintings in Ajanta Caves shows men wearing socks - Blue & White.

 No photo description available.


Female figurine with hair tied in a large beehive shaped bun, Bhubaneswar (Odisha) 

Eastern Ganga period Note Kundala and other jewellery.

 

 


Mithuna couple from Chandraketu Garh Dated:~1st cent. BCE or older. 

It shows the following details.

* Hair-do

* Headgear

* Kundal

* Footwear

* Ornaments

Right pointing backhand index
Right pointing backhand index

 

 

You May Like : Ancient Indian Hair-Styles

   

Subjects

Spirituality   Bhagvad Gita  Bhagwad Puran  Buddhism Krishna Guru

First & Earliest  Influence of Culture  Knowledge   History 

Past Glories   Unique India 

Chanakya  Video

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