Bracelets (b): Bracelet formed of multiple coils

This type of wristlets formed mostly of two or three coils can be seen worn both by men and women. The individual coil can be plain or bedecked with beaded designs. Thus, the male and female figurines depicted in the panels of the Thantonrisvra temple at Kanchipuram wear both two and three coiled spirals and are plain without any decoration. Similar type can be seen coiled around the forearms of several sculptures of men and women in the panels of the Varaha-mandapa at Mamallapuram like: the women flanking Gajalakshmi, the dvarapalakas, a devotee kneeling at the feet of Durga and by Trivikrama. Almost all the chauri bearers^[1] as well as the queens^[2] depicted in the historical panels of the Vaikunthaperumal temple at Kanchipuram are shown with a similar type of coiled bracelet.

Siva as kirata (fig. 533) in the Kiratarjuniya panel depicted on the wall of one of the angalaya in the Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram also wear a coiled bracelet formed of five spirals. In this panel, difference between a bracelet formed of multiple coils, as worn by Siva in the guise of a hunter and set of individual circular bangles, as worn by Arjuna can be clearly seen.

The number of spirals in case of Durga (fig. 262) in the Mahishasuramardini cave temple at Mamallapuram increases to six, with thick prominent jeweled bangles on both the sides. Similar bracelet is also worn by Durga and her attendant adorning the outer northern wall of the garbhagriha in the Piravatesvara temple at Kanchipuram^[3].

An interesting combination of this type with the simple valaya can be seen adorning the forearms of the Ardhanarisvara (fig. 286) carved in the north-eastern niche (aditala) of the Dharmaraja-ratha. Here the two right hands of Siva are adorned with two valayas and the corresponding left hands of Uma are bedecked with a wristlet formed of six coils packed between bejeweled bangles.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

North-western wall, upper row.

[2]:

Northen wall, lower row.

[3]:

It can be observed that most of the images of Durga or Parvati and some of her attendant figures in this period are wearing a bracelet of this type.