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________________ JEWELLERY IN JAIN LITERATURE OF RAJASTHAN (Mrs.) KUSUM MEHTA Writer & Journalist Mehta Mansion, Station Road, JAIPUR-302006 (Raj.) The origins of Indian Jewellery like those of others are shrouded in the mists of antiquity. he earliest references of Indian jewellery are contained in Hindu sacred scriptures, the Rgveda (circa 2000-1500 B. C.) and in the Indian epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata (circa 1000500 B. C.) One of the oldest examples of ancient Indian jewellery is a small relic casket containing gold ornaments found in a Buddhist shrine in the Kabul valley near Jalalabad. From the archaeological excavations of Rairh, Nalisar, Ahar, Madhymika, Kalibanga and Rangmahal in Rajasthan, it is known that women wore different kinds of ornaments such as bangles, bracelets, anklets, necklaces, ear-pendants, beads and girdles. Haribhadra Suri who lived in the seventh or eighth century A. D. supplies the names of various types of ornaments which were popular among the people in towns and cities in the Samaraditya Katha. Their names are bahusarika, an ornament for the the bahumala or arm-pits, a pearl dusurullaka for the neck, a plavangabandha for the breasts, a retanachakralata for the ears, and a chudaratna for the forehead and jewelled ring for the fingers. The Hamira-Mahakavya describes Hamira's queens as decked with Kundalas in their ears, Kasturitilakas on their foreheads, hanging pearl in their noses, pearl necklaces on their breasts, nupuras for their ankles, champaka buds for their dhumillas, rings for the fingers of both the hands, alaktaka for the feet and blue dukula on their hips. They are referred to not merely in the Rajasthani Jain and other literature of the period but also depicted in sculptures of Kiradu, Abu and Pallu. An early description of Rajasthani ornaments comes from Paumsri Cariu. At the time of Paumasri's marriage, women put on their wrist the holy kankana along with divine herbs and white mustard. They put jewelled nupura (on her feet), kundalas (in her ears), mukuta (on her forehead), necklaces (round her neck) and a tinkling girdle (round her waist).
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________________ * 44 Karmayogi Sri Kesarimalji Surana Abhinandana Grantha : Seventh Part From the Kuvalaymala we have fthe names of Manirasana, Markatamanikani-Kauthika, and ornaments of pearl and gold. Poor village wives bedecked themselves with sankha bangles and ornaments set not with jewels but with shining glass pieces. A good idea of the ornaments of Rajasthan can be had from the Pallu Saraswatis of which one is in the National Museum, Delhi and the other in Bikaner Museum. Their round Kundalas, with four pearl strings hanging from the top-end neck ornaments now known in Rajasthan as Hansali and Jhulara four stringed necklace which hangs almost up to the navel, a purasutra (a cord or chain worn round the chest) or perhaps stana-sutra (a chain worn round the breasts). Keyura and Bahubandha Akankana and Valaya, angullayakas, mekhala and nupura are among the ornaments that can be cognised easily. Nor were men behind women in the use of ornaments. At one place the Upamitibhayaprapancakatha mentions mukuta, angada kundala and pralamba without specifying who wore them. Elsewhere in the same book we find the description of a youngman with a pearl ornament called mukta kalpa on his chest, and amulets (keyura and kataka) on his upper arm. Chahamana, according to the PrithvirajaVijaya had a kirita set with gems, a pearl necklace, kundalas with pearls and pair of Keyuras. That such an abundant use of ornaments by both sexes was nothing unusual can be seen also from the accounts of Alberuni and Abuzaid. According to Jaina scriptures the Aharians ornaments consisted largely of terracotta beads. Only a few of them could have had semi-precious stones such as microcline,,carnelian, shell and faience. Jinaratna Suri mentions names of several ornaments in his treatise on Udaipur Varnana; a few of them are suwarni (a necklace of gold beads), urvasi (necklace), manikyamala (a necklace of red beads or ruby stones), sovanpan (an ornament of betel-leaf shape worn on the back of plan and Jhanjhar (an anklet with tinkling sound). The popular ornaments of ancient and medieval Rajasthan are :Head : Malaya, Garbhak, Lalamak, Hansa-tilak, Dandak, Chura-Mandar, Churika and Mukuta Bars ; Mukta-Kantaka, Dwirajika, Trirajika, Kundala, Bajra-garbha, Karnapur, Karnika, Karendu and Srinkhala Neck : Pralambika, Uralsutrika, Ekavali and Devachchchanda Arms : Keyura, Panchaka and Kataka Rings : Dwi-Hiraka, Nay-ratna; Sukti and Mudrika Girdles : Kanchi, Mekhala, Rasava, Kalan and Kanchidam Feet : Padachara, Pada Rantaka, Pada-padma, Kiskini, Mudrika and Nupura