Head-dress of Men (Tiara)

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

A tiara or ardhamakuta can be explained as a type, which covers only half part of the head and is mainly ornamental in purpose, though its functional value in holding the headdress as well as the coiffure cannot be ruled out. It can also be described as a type of forehead band (agrapatta) having more ornamental flourishes. An ardhamakuta in the sculptural art of this period is worn either individually or as part of another head-dress in the form of a siro-mala at the base of the karanda-makuta. Based on the ornamentation and design, a tiara can be further classified and described as following:

Simple tiara fixed with one or more circular medallions

This is a simple type of tiara, which can be seen worn by the dvarapalakas (fig. 468) flanking the facade of the Avanibhajanapallavesvara-griha at Siyamangalam. Of these, the one worn by the dvarapalaka (fig. 138) to the southern side of the facade has three circular medallions on the front side. A similar type can also be seen adorning the head of the conch blowing Ganas in the Olakkanesvara temple at Mamallapuram. Here additionally its band at the front is designed in the form of series of squares, which can be interpreted as inlaid precious stones or metal, with such embossed patterns.

Tiara having more ornate embellishments

In this type, the tiara was treated more ornately, formed of various beads, pearls, finial, kirtimukha and makara motifs. Tiara of this type can be seen adorning the jatamakuta of Siva and His dvarapalakas. Finest of such representation in the early art of this period can be seen adorning the jatamakuta of the southern dvarapalaka, flanking the shrine entrance in the Satrumallesvaralaya at Dalavanur^[1] (fig. 139) and on the jatamakuta of Gangadhara in the Lalitankurapallvesvara-griha at Tiruchirappalli. In the former the tiara can be divided into two parts -a lower flat band with beaded-floral ornamentation in the middle, flanked by pear shaped discs on its either ends followed by a cornet studded with various precious stones. In the sculpture of Gangadhara, the jatamakuta is decorated in the front and is held in position by a cornet with three ornamental finials, in front and other two similar ones at the sides. Behind the head a siraschakra is also seen.

Tiara fixed with floral medallions

The friezes of Ganas adorning the adhisthana of the Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram have their heads adored with tiara of varied designs. In general it consists of a flat band adored with circular medallions at the ends and another medallion, either of the same circular type or having floral design in the middle. Sometimes, the flat band is also studded with beaded designs, either circular or square or alternatively square and circular (fig. 140). There is also another variant, in which it is formed of a single floral medallion in the middle with the band having beaded designs. Similar type of tiara can be noticed on the head of the Ganas adorning the vallabhi portion of the cornice in the Tirumulasthanattup-perumanadigal shrine in the Bhaktavatsala temple complex at Tirukkalukkunram.

A thick round tiara (siro-mala)

A thick round diadem known as siro-mala is often seen adorning and supporting the base of the karanda-makuta type of head-dress, as well as jatamakuta type of coiffure. In the early stages as can be seen on the images of Gajalakshmi in the Varaha-mandapa, Brahmasasta in the Arjuna-ratha, Trimurti cave temple (fig. 141) etc., at Mamallapuram, the siro-mala is devoid of any ornamentation and is seen in the form of a curved ring or turban around the makuta. However, in the sculptural art of later period, from the time of Rajasimha, siro-mala used to have a floral decoration at the extreme sides and a pinching medial band in the middle. The medial band can be either plain or formed of chain of beads. The composition of siro-mala also changes in this period, from being a smooth round diadem made of a single band to that of a composite diadem formed out of many such strings. Such a composite siro-mala can be especially seen adorning the jatamakuta and karanda-makuta of the female chauri bearers (fig. 142) as well as goddess Durga and Her various forms in the Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram. It is also seen adorning the kirita-makuta of the queens portrayed in the historical panels in the Vaikunthaperumal temple at Kanchipuram.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

However K. R. Srinivasan, describes the head-dress as “a turban showing three twisted rolls, one above the other, with circular ornaments attached in front and on the sides” (Cave temples of the Pallavas, New Delhi 1964, p. 75).