Pallava period (Social and Cultural History)

by S. Krishnamurthy | 2017 | 143,765 words

This study examines the Social and Cultural History of the Pallava period (as gleaned through the Sculptural Art). The Pallavas (6th-9th century A.D.) mainly ruled over the Tondaimandalam (Tondai Nadu) region in the Northern part of Tamil Nadu (South-India). The Pallava dynasty ensured a golden age of architecture, arts, and spirituality and while ...

Head-dress of Men (Crowns)

[Full title: Head-dress of Men during the Pallava period: Crowns]

Crowns of this period can be broadly divided into two types, namely

  1. Kirita-makuta
  2. Karanda-makuta

Among them the kirita-makuta is found in two forms i.e., Broad–cylindrical and Narrow–conical.

The karanda-makuta is also found either in the form of an elongated makuta with a flat rim or short conical makuta with a siro-mala[1] adorning it at the base. In the latter type the conical top portion may be either divided into karandas or plain and the siro-mala may or may not have a pinching tie-up at the centre. Normally kirita-makuta is shown worn only by sculptures representing the kings and the principal deities, whereas, the subsidiary deities are shown with the karanda-makuta type. This may denote that the kind of head-dress worn by an individual indirectly points at their social status. Both the type of crowns are seen embellished with ornamentation, which may be formed of inlaid precious or semi-precious stones as well as molded designs in the form of creepers, floral and mythical animals like kirtimukha or yali and makara motifs.

Kirita-makuta is usually seen in this period adorning the sculptures of Vishnu in His various forms along with the accompanying dvarapalakas and also by the kings. As per the standard iconographical trend, the sculptures of Siva and His dvarapalakas are seen with an elaborate jatamakuta or jatabhara embellished with various ornaments. However, there seem to be few exceptions. Thus, in the earliest rock-cut sculptural creation of the Pallavas, namely the Lakshitayatana cave temple at Mandagapattu, the Vasantesvaram cave temple (no. 1) at Vallam and in the Trimurti cave temple at Mamallapuram (fig. 123), the pair of dvarapalakas flanking the facade, are identified as adorning their respective heads with a kirita-makuta over their jatabhara type of coiffure[2]. However, owing to the worn-out nature of the makuta, it is not possible to identify whether it was a combined form of jatamakuta cum jatabhara type. Such a combined form of coiffure can be best seen in the dvarapalakas flanking the shrine entrance in the Satrumallesvaralaya at Dalavanur. Again the dvarapalakas flanking the central and southernmost shrine in the Koneri-mandapa at Mamallapuram also wear a head-dress resembling kirita-makuta. This and other ornamentation on them makes them appear more like royal persons than the normal door-keepers.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

According to Srinivasan, K. R., Siro-mala is a thick rounded fillet or diadem on the forehead surrounding the base of the conical tiara like makuta of the karanda-makuta type (The Dharmaraja ratha and Its Sculptures, New Delhi, 1975, p. 64).

[2]:

K. R. Srinivasan, Cave temples of the Pallavas, New Delhi, 1964, p. 50, 63 and 160.

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