The Antiquities of Orissa v1.c10.277.1

v1.c10.277.1

**Camara :** The *cāmara* or fly-flapper reckons next in importance to the umbrella among royal insignia. It is frequently referred to in Sanskrit works, and the *Yuktimestampaturu* of Bhoja Rāja dwells on it at great length. According to it, there were two classes of *cāmaras* in use in former times, one "mountain-born", and the other "sea-born". "The former were made of the hair of cattle common on the Meru, the Himālaya, the Vindhya, the Kailāsa, the Malaya, the Udaya, the Asta and the Gandhamādana mountains. The *cāmara* of the Meru mountain was of a deep yellow colour; that of the Himālaya, white; that of the Vindhya, white and dense; that from Kailāsa, black and white mixed; that from Malaya, white and yellow mixed; that from Udaya, blood-red; that from Asta, blue and white shades mixed; and that from Gandhamādana, sometimes black, and sometimes pale yellow".¹²⁹ Of these varieties, those which had long, light bright and dense hair, were reckoned the best, and those which had short, heavy, discoloured and dull hair were condemned as bad. The first set of qualities ensured to the owner of the *cāmaras* possessing them, long life, [ 109 ] great valour, fame and enduring prosperity, while the second set brought on shortness of life, disease, sorrow and death.¹³⁰ The sea-born *cāmaras* are said to come from the seven Paurāṇic seas.