Dressing style of commoners

[Full title: Dressing style of Men: Commoners]

Dress of commoner can be seen rarely depicted in the Thantontrisvara temple, smaller and larger Bhagiratha penance panels, Govardhanadhari panel and in the Dharmaraja-ratha at Mamallapuram. In the larger Bhagiratha penance panel can be noticed depiction of hunters carrying bow or stick and wood-cutter with an axe. Two kinds of dress can be seen on them (fig. 110). In one type, the lower garment appears to be a simple cloth suspended loosely from the waist at the front and back. They reach only the thigh region. The other type is the kaupina, tied at the loins just to cover the genital region. There is every possibility that these hunters used bark of tree or long grass for making their dress. Antiquity of such dresses in India can be known through the references found in the Vedas^[1]. In the Govardhanadhari panel two kinds of lower garment for men can be seen. In one type, it is a short vastra tied around the waist in the kachchha method so as to reach the thigh portion (fig. 111). In another type, the vastra is tied around the waist and let loose. In this case also it is only seen covering up to the thigh region. Perhaps the village folk used to fold the dhoti into half while doing work, as can be seen even now. Another interesting point to note is the absence of specially made kati-bandha in these sculptures. Instead a cloth is tied around the waist as a support for the lower garment. On the Dharamaraja-ratha at Mamallapuram, several figures identified as devotees wear either kaupina or ardoruka or purvoruka. Thus, nothing definite can be said about the difference in the way of clothing, especially the lower garment among the commoners.