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Jaina Art of Orissa
179
reaches even the ankles. As there is no appearance of any ornamentation either of flowers or stripes except a few folds in exceptional cases it is most probable that then as now, the dhoti was a plain sheet of cloth. Above the waist, the body is usually represented as quite naked excepting only a tight scarf or sheet of cloth which is generally thrown over the shoulders with the ends hanging down outside the thigh. In some cases it appears to have passed round the body and the end thrown over the left shoulder. Tunics or made dresses in very crude form were also occasionally used. The chief drapery of the ladies consists of a śāri to cover the lower part of the body. It is tied by waist band with folds of the ends dangling in front. In rare cases they use upper garments in shape of a scarf and while dancing cover the face with a veil.
For varieties in the arrangement of coiffure, the men like those of the women wore their hair long and tied in knots with curled locks in front and sides. Male hair dress normally conforms on two top knots bordered by band of hair locks at the base. These two knots are either arranged vertically above the head or one in the centre and the other slightly tilting to the side. In rare instances, however, we find the hairs are tied in three knots over the head. In case of two knots, the main one is larger than the other and in case of three the central knot is more decorated and sumptuously designed than the side ones.
The band of locks at the base covering the forehead in a semicircular fashion is arranged with a series of curled locks. Occasionally they extend up to the ears. Major part of the hair at times are dragged to the left and rolled like a ball at the end. Top knots in most cases are provided with chaplet like bands to retain them in required fashion for a considerable time. These chaplets are usually plain and possibly made of a piece of cloth or rope and used in more than one occasion in a particular type of hair decoration.
Most parts of the hair of the ladies on the head are gathered at the top and tied in a piece of cloth or dragged to a side and fashioned in several designs. In cases where they are gathered at the top a band of curled locks or ringlets of hair decorate the forehead. They often like their male counterparts run up to the top most part of the ears. In another variety the curled locks commencing from the forehead fall on one side or brought to the back. In one case the entire collection of hair at the top is tied in pieces of ropes and then slightly tilted to a side. In some cases the hair, the ringlets of which were pinned to the head were gathered in a knot. Sometimes the hair is entirely arranged in ringlets and held in a chaplet allowing to them fall on either sides. In simple and plain varieties, hairs are just combed behind and the end tied in a knot. In other cases they are just gathered at the top in a bulging shape and a thin veil covers them. The hairs are also plaited in a single pigtail and allowed to fall at the back. The more elaborate ones fixed with flowers, feathers of colourful birds, leaves are shown to a side only
The decorative ornaments on the body of the men and women figures of the period appear to be more crude and unsophisticated. They have a touch of folk style
