We all have heard about the kings and wars in Indian history. Various monuments, temples, mosques, and other ancient structures are living examples of the excellent architecture that existed through the decades. The history of Indian fashion is also an interesting area to explore. The hairstyles of Indian men and women continue to make their unique representation among all other cultures.
Today what we know of the various ancient Indian hairstyles. comes from the different sculptures, paintings, and photographs of ancient India. A lot of interesting patterns and styles have been noticed in the way men and women groomed their hair. The imagination, artistry, and thought that has been to hairdressing in this country cannot be found elsewhere. Back then people associated hair with charm and power. Even the deities are seen with unique hairstyles.
Hairstyles Seen on Gods And Goddesses
The Hindu god Shiva is seen wearing matted hair or a Jata. Some of the hair is pulled up into a bun which is held together using a Rudraksha Mala. The images of goddess Parvati also show her wearing her hair in the same way.
Tri-Shikha type of coiffure is seen on lord Kartikeya and Buddha is seen wearing curly and wavy hair, sometimes tied in a small bun.
Hairstyle in Harappan Civilization
Women and men of the Harappan civilization were also fond of hairstyling. The human figurines show women with hair curled or knotted. Flowers and fillets were used to decorate the hair. Men combed their hair backward. Few men would part the hair, and bun one side while leaving the other side free. Some would bun some hair and curl the rest. Pulling the hair up and forming a ring shape on top of the head was a common style too.
All the paintings, scriptures, and statues which have been found from these times show that hairstyles were an important part of daily life. Elaborate hairstyles were worn by both men and women for special occasions. The elaborate coiffure was also adorned with tiaras, fillets, and jewels.
Mohenjodaro’s Popular Dancing Girl
The statue of the dancing girl found during the excavation of the Harappan Civilization has been a topic of interest for archaeologists and historians all over the world. Her postures, ornaments, and clothing all have been studied and many theories have been drawn from the observations. The aspect which did not receive much attention is the style in which her hair has been dressed.
Starting just above her left ear, a heavy mass of hair is coiled and it is seen falling over her shoulder. The hair has also been adorned with ornaments. This is symbolic of the hairstyle the women of that period had.
Other statues found showed women carrying long heavy hair with braids and plaits. The wide range of hairstyles signifies that the women changed their look based on occasions such as marriages, celebrating motherhood, or other cultural events.
The Mauryan Period
The women of the Mauryan period also seemed to be really fond of hairdressing. The stone and terracotta statues found from this period symbolize it. Two hairstyles prevalent were shaved head and braided hair, according to the Arthashastras. The Yakhshis or attendants of the goddesses would comb their hair and tie a knot with a loop on the back.
In these times men would brush their hair backward from the forehead. Some preferred to cut their hair short while some coiled the long hair in a knot. An arrangement in the shape of a horn with a knot on the right was common among the men.
The Sanchi women would also neatly plait their hair. The ascetic women would coil the hair around the head.
The Kushan Period
The Gandhara art which flourished under this dynasty highlights the curly hairstyle among people from those times.
A famous Kushan art from the Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh depicts Lord Shiva with the third eye on the forehead and his twelve bands of Jata are tied with four strands of hair.
Women would back-brush their hair with a tiara. On the back, the hair locks would dangle freely.
According to Natya Shastra, hairstyles varied from one geographical area to another. While the Malwa women had curled locks, the Gauda women had tied knots and plaited hairs.
Hairstyles were also a symbol of status back then. The elite class would arrange their hair in many different styles, thus maintaining a difference from the peasants.
The Gupta Period
A beautiful terracotta figure of the goddess Parvati was found in this period. The figure is seen with curled hair tied in the back. It was also adorned with a jewel of a round shape. Both foreign and indigenous hairstyles gained popularity. The short hair adorned with some jewels represented the foreign style. The indigenous style involved long hairs tied into buns or knots with loops let loose. Women with middle-parted hair and beautiful headgear were also prevalent.
The Sunga Period
Simple and native styles dominated in this period. Women would make a bun and also wore turbans. Illustrations of women gathered under the Bodhi tree are seen with knotted hair, embellished with florals.
Hairstyle in Medieval Times
Art centers from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan have displays featuring different hairstyles from the middle age.
Women from the Chandela period preferred chignons or buns. The hair was combed back and a short tail would be left free from the back of the neck.
The Tamil women have an interesting hairstyle where they would part the hair into five parts and pleat each one. All parts were then gathered and tied leaving a long end to hang gracefully in the back.
Conclusion
Headgears decorated with flowers and jewels were also common all the time. Some of these ancient hair-dos have come back in modern times. With a mix of foreign cultures, hairstyles have evolved in every decade and many new styles were born. Some old styles are now worn in a modern way to match the trends.