3.6. Ornamental Painting

Ornamental painting was the decoration of the different parts of the body with various designs. Designs were usually painted with various unguents. Multi coloured designs also were drawn. Both men and women painted their body. Usually forehead, cheeks, feet, palms and the breast region were decorated. For this purpose unguents made of sandal, saffron and agallocum were used. Lac juice extracted from Tamāla leaves, white mustard and minerals were employed in decoration. Body was anointed with designs of leaves, flowers, fish and dots. Decorations can be generally classified into two -facial decoration and decorations on the other parts of the body.

a) Facial Decoration

Facial decoration includes decorations on forehead, cheeks and lips. Forehead was decorated with a Tilaka, which is a spot usually painted with sandal, saffron, turmeric powder, collyrium, vermillion, yellow or white orpiment etc. Multi-coloured Tilaka also was in fashion. Usually in the form of a spot, Tilaka was painted in other designs also. Both men and women wore Tilaka. But it was compulsory for women, especially for married ones, for it symbolises their marital status. Allusions to the removal of Tilaka of women of deceased enemies give indication of their widowhood. Young unmarried girls also applied Tilaka mark on their forehead. Dāmodaragupta^[1] refers to young girls not having Tilaka mark hesitating to appear before their lovers. Daṇḍi^[2] also mentions young girls wearing Tilaka of sandal paste or musk or Aguru. Kālidāsa^[3] often refers to women wearing Tilaka of sandal or Kuṅkuma. In Mālavikāgnimitra^[4], he describes Pramadavanalakṣmī as wearing collyrium as Tilaka. During the description of Pārvatī’s^[5] wedding, Kālidāsa refers to Mena applying Tilaka made with a paste of Manahśilā and Haritāla on the forehead of Pārvatī. Similarly in Mahābhārata^[6], we meet with Draupadī’s mother, applying Tilaka of turmeric powder and Manahśilā on Draupadī’s forehead on latter’s wedding day. In Mānasollāsa^[7] we have reference to courtesans wearing multicoloured Tilaka. Dāmodaragupta^[8] mentions a Tilaka of mustard seeds. In another place he speaks of Tilaka, designed with leaves^[9]. Tilaka mark made of Hiṅgula is mentioned in Bṛhatsaṃhitā^[10].

Cheeks were painted with various designs. Doted figures of leaves, flowers and fish were drawn with lac or ointments. These ointments were of sandal, Kuṅkuma or Aguru. Sometimes leaves were directly affixed on cheeks in order to form various designs. Usually Tamāla leaves were cut into different shapes and were get stamped on cheeks. Such arrangement of leaves on cheeks was considered one among the sixty four arts and is known by different names like Patraccheda, Viśeṣakacchedya and Patralekha. Kālidāsa^[11] calls this arrangement of dots on cheeks as Bhakti. Amarakośa^[12] also mentions this art. The paint stick used to make designs was known as Patrāṅguli. Lips were simply painted with lac.

b) Other Decorations

As in the case of facial decoration, palms and feet also were decorated with designs of flowers or leaves. Lac or juice of Tamāla leaves were used to paint these designs. Nails also were painted with lac. For decorating the breast region, paste of sandal or saffron or Aguru was used.

Earliest reference to the ornamental painting is perhaps in Purāṇas. In Matsyapurāṇa^[13], nymphs in one context are described as painting their feet with lac. We often meet with maidens painting their body especially feet with lac, in the works of Kālidāsa^[14]. Aśvaghoṣa^[15] refers to ladies reddening their lips with Tamāla leaves. Rājaśekhara^[16] and Srīharṣa^[17] also make ample references to ornamental painting. But we have no reference to tattooing in our literature.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Kuṭṭanīmata, vv. 257, 597

[2]:

Avantisundarīkathā, pp.30, 42, 57; Daśakumāracarita, p.98

[3]:

Kumārasambhava, VII.23

[4]:

Act III

[5]:

Kumārasambhava, VII.23

[6]:

947.97, 20-23

[7]:

Vol. II, vv. 1175-1176

[8]:

Kuṭṭanīmata, vv.343,16

[9]:

Ibid, v.740

[10]:

XXVII.7, III.23, X.11, XXIV.14, LIII.10, LIII.26

[11]:

Kumārasambhava, VII; Raghuvaṃśa, 17.24, 6.12, Ṛtusaṃhāra, I.5

[12]:

2.6.121-122

[13]:

117.6

[14]:

Kumārasambhava, VII.19,VIII.89, IV.19; Raghuvaṃśa, 16.15, Ṛtusaṃhāra, I.5, Vikramorvaśīya, IV.16, Mālavikāgnimitra, III.13

[15]:

Saundarananda, IV.6, 13, 20, 22, 23, 24, 34, 35, VI.4,V.19

[16]:

Karpūramañjarī, Act II, IV

[17]:

Naiṣadhīyacarita, VI.62, XV.33