Ancient Indian Costume c3: Foreword
Ancient Indian Costume c3
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Foreword
c3.1
The simplest and the most sophisticated of attire is in the form of *Ardhanarīśvara*, the right half practically unclad or clad in a tiger skin or elephant hide with reptiles as ornaments, but the left half with the most sophisticated of both drapery and ornaments. The mountain princess Parvati decks herself with every possible jewel and has gorgeous costume.
c3.2
Though originally the idea of costume was only to cover parts of the body, it developed rapidly and nature contributed immensely towards the material sought for costume. Costume is not the same throughout the year. Kalidasa specially mentions how summer came in its rigour to give the beloveds of the prince lessons on the mode of dress, where the upper garments were delicately interwoven with jewels, pearl necklaces pendent on ever so pale breasts and the silken garments so fine that they could be blown away even by the softest breath: *athasya ratnagrathi tottariyam ekantapandustanalambiharam, nissvasaharya mśukam ajagama gharmah priya vesam ivopadeshtum. Raghuvamśa* 16.43.
c3.3
It was not the same in winter, where the prince enjoyed the damsels with lovely waists, who attracted him when he tied and untied and played with the garments on their hip, rustling as silk usually does, and made specially for use in winter and fragrant with the fume of frankincence, displaying their golden waist bands: *marmarair agurudhupagandhibhir vyaktahemarasanais tam ekatah, jahrur agrathanamokshalolupam haimanair nivasaniah sumadhyamah. Raghuvamśa* 19.41
c3.4
This would give an idea that costume in a tropical country like India differed almost every few months. Sunlit, the land is glorious, both jewellery and costume adding beauty to the lovely form, however much Kalidasa may deny in a taunting way "what is not an adornment to beautiful form", *kim iva hi madhuranam mandanam nakritinam. Abhipnanasakuntalam* 1.18.
c3.5
Beautiful form apart, dress was a great factor. Dress distinguished different classes, different trades and vocations, different stages of life and different aspects of the mind. The *brahmachari*, pupil and the *yati* or ascetic were the only ones who were absolutely the simplest, devoid of ornaments and very sparing in dress.
c3.6
Ancient Indian costume is a great theme. It inspires not only because our literature is rich in its description, but visually also sculptures and paintings have given so much.
c3.7
Mrs Roshen Alkazi has made a detailed study of ancient Indian costume from the earliest times to the end of the Gupta period. She has ransacked jewels and costumes from one end to the other of our great subcontinent giving a number of sculptures and supplementing them with drawings specially prepared to explain each variety. She has described in detail every sketch that is given and the photographs that illustrate her large and liberally illustrated volume. She has studied the various areas, classified and given maps to show the vast range of the Indian subcontinent. She has patiently worked on this for quite a long time and it is indeed a pleasure to see that she has come to the end of her devoted work to make available her fine book *Ancient Indian Costume* which I am sure will be welcomed by all lovers of Indian culture.
c3.8
New Delhi *March 30, 1982* C SIVARAMAMURTI
c3.9
The foreword has been reproduced from the original edition of *Ancient Indian Costume* by the same author.