The Antiquities of Orissa v1.c10.220.1

v1.c10.220.1

**Ornaments :** The passion for personal ornaments and decoration is common to every state of society. It may have been chastened and modified under particular circumstances, but it has never and nowhere been altogether suppressed. The jackdaw's feathers and cowrie-shell necklets of some of the Pacific islanders may have been replaced in the boudoirs of Paris and the drawing-rooms of England by the magnificent plumes of the ostrich and brilliants of unrivalled lustre and in Asia by the pinions of the bird of paradise and orient pearls of exquisite perfection, but the desire for them remains the same, and equally ardent everywhere. It is not remarkable, therefore, that it prevailed to an inordinate extent in ancient India under conditions, climatic and social, the most favourable to its growth. To judge from the records and relics now accessible, the passion seems to have manifested itself in an inordinate fondness for gold jewellery for different parts of the body, and the deities of the *Ṛgveda* constantly present themselves adorned with a variety of them. Rudra is described as "firm strong limbs, assuming many forms, fierce and tawny coloured, shining with brilliant golden ornaments",¹⁰¹ and wearing "an adorable uniform necklace". The Maruts decorate their persons "with various ornaments";¹⁰² "they are richly decorated with ornaments", and "shining necklaces are pendant on their breasts".¹⁰³ The Aśvins are also adorned with golden ornaments.