2.19. Seasonal Clothing

People wore garments made of different materials as well as of different colours in different seasons. It is stated in Suśruta-saṃhitā^[1] that in Grīṣma (Hot season), light clothes perfumed with sandal paste should be worn, while during Varṣa (Rains), warm clothes are suited. For Śarat (Autumn), he recommends clean as well as thin clothes. Pāṇini^[2] in one context has referred to the term Varṣābhyavṛk in the sense of a cloth worn on rainy season. He gives reference to a particular cloth worn during autumn also. In Ṛtusaṃhāra^[3] Kālidāsa gives an account of textures used by ladies during each season. Thus in summer, it is described that ladies preferred thin clothes. Kālidāsa mentions such types, which were so thin enough to be blown away even by breath. Ladies wearing Nīvi of white silk in summer are also described there. There were even garments with the settings of gems in order to alleviate the summer heat, while in winter, they opted wool as well as silk. Spring garments were dyed with lac juice and perfumed with Kālāguru (Aquilegia agalloca).

Mānasollāsa^[4] and Kuṭṭanīmata^[5] inform us the winter clothes, where Someśvara speaks of Aṅgikā, a special type of woollen coat designed for winter season, while in Kuṭṭanīmata, cotton clothes are mentioned as worn in winter. In Mānasollāsa it is stated that in summer people used white clothes. For rainy season, they selected red or its different shades, while in autumn the clothes were dyed in lac.