Mekhala (girdle)

There is not much variety in the mekhala or girdles worn in this period. It is seen worn both by men and women as an ornament just below the kati-bandha in the form of a string, with a floral medallion in the centre. Earliest such example in the art of this period can be seen on the dvarapalakas (fig. 319) flanking the facade of the Lakshitayanata cave temple at Mandagapattu and in the Satrumallesvaralaya at Dalavanur. Such a portrayal of a girdle continues throughout this period and can be seen adorning an image of Vishnu and a devotee on the northern wall of the Vaikunthaperumal temple at Kanchipuram, constructed during the time of Nandivarman II Pallavamalla (731–796 A.D.) and also in an image of Surya from Kaverippakkam^[1] (fig. 326) dated to 9^th century A.D^[2]. Similar type can also be found in the image of Shanmukha^[3] from the same place and Vishnu from Satyamangalam^[4] (fig. 328).

In the Trimurti cave temple at Mamallapuram, both Siva (fig. 321) and Brahmasasta (fig. 323) can be seen wearing a mekhala in the form of a strip with an ornamental medallion in the middle. Similar one can also be noticed adorning the image of Durga in the Draupadi-ratha and also by a male figure (fig. 329) carrying an earthern pot on his shoulders in the group representing a scene from a hermitage in the larger Bhagiratha penance panel at Mamallapuram.

A mekhala formed of beads known as mani-mekhala can be seen adorning the waist of Bhudevi (fig. 116) in the Anantasayi-Vishnu panel of the Mahishasuramardini cave temple at Mamallapuram. Here She is shown wearing a mani-mekhala formed of three strings of beads. A mani-mekhala formed of two strands of beads with a floral medallion in the middle can be seen worn by an image of Durga on the northern wall of the ardhamandapa in the Muktesvara temple at Kanchipuram. A similar girdle formed of single row of beads or rudraksha can be often seen worn on the kati-bandha, in the images representing Siva as Bhikshatanamurti, Dakshinamurti and Natesa in the Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram and in the image of a dvarapalaka in the Iravatanesvara temple in the same place.