History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c34.s1.5

v1.c34.s1.5

*Ear ornaments*: Ear rings were used by men and women both. Sometimes, the ear-rings are shaped as *Tri-ratna* symbol. Even today, the Christians wear the cross as ornament. Cunningham has described a special type of ear-rings used at Bharhut, wherein the middle portion was formed of two spiral tubes and ending with a four petalled flower (Cunningham, 1962). Agrawala has identified them with *Prakaravapra Kuṇḍalas*, as mentioned in the Virata Parva of *Mahābhārata* (Agrawala, 1965). The crescent- shaped *kuṇḍalas* (*mṛṣṭakuṇḍalas*), which find mention in the *Jatakas*, are found represented in Amaravati sculptures (Cunningham, 1962).