3.4. Hair Dressing: Styles and Care

Different people have different types of hair. Some have long hair; others have curly hair and some other keep smooth and glossy hair. In general, hair is known by various names. Amarakośa^[1] lists five synonyms Cikura, Kuntala, Kaca, Keśa and Śiroruha. Curly hair is Cūrṇakuntala. Kaiśika is the name of a mop of curly hair. Sleek, abundant and tangle free hair is called Śīrṣaṇya or Śīrṣya, while the ringlets falling on the forehead is called as Bhramaraka. As mentioned above, coiffures were varied according to many factors.

Some of the hair fashions prevalent in ancient India are described below.

a) Śikhaṇḍabandha

Śikhaṇḍabandha also known as Śikhaṇḍaka and Śikhā is a style, in which hair is tied into a knot at the crown or at one side. Men kept hair in this fashion.

b) Cūḍā

Like Śikhā, Cūḍā also is a rounded knot, worn on the top.

c) Dhammilla

Dhammilla is a women’s coiffure. In this style, plaited hair is tied into a bun at the back or on the crest. Sometimes a Dhammilla was decorated with flowers or pearls. Daṇḍi has referred to the Dhammillaracanā in Avantisundarīkathā.

d) Kabarī

Kabarī is similar to Dhammilla and it is also women’s coiffure.

e) Veṇī

Veṇī is braided hair. On the basis of the number of braids, Veṇī is called as Ekaveṇī, Dviveṇī etc. When Veṇī is arranged into a round or bun, it is called Maṇḍalitaveṇī.

f) Jaṭā

Jaṭā is matted or tangled hair. Sages and ascetics had such a coiffure. Sometimes matted hair was coiled into top knot.

g) Kākapakṣa

In Kākapakṣa, hair is arranged on temples in the shape of a crow’s wing. This fashion was popular among young boys.

Besides the above mentioned types, we read of some other styles in Vedic literature. Some of them are as follows.

1. Opaśa

In Opaśa, locks of hair are piled on the top. It looks like a horn. The word Opaśa indicates the horn of a year old calf. Hence it can be inferred that in Opaśa style of coiffure, hair is tied like a knob and it is not in the shape of a large horn. Both men and women practice this hair style. In Ṛgveda^[2] we have reference to Indra and some others wearing hair in this fashion.

2. Kumbha

As the word indicates, Kumbha is a coiffure in the shape of a pot. It was a female coiffure.

3. Kurīra

In Atharvaveda^[3], the word Kurīrin is used in the sense of an animal having long horn. From this it is clear that in Kurīra type coiffure, hair is arranged on the top in the shape of a horn. Sometimes this hair knot was adorned with pearl nets. Women, especially brides, arranged their hair in such a fashion. In Vedas we meet with such coiffures frequently. Pāṇini^[4] also has mentioned this hair style.

4. Stuka

Stuka means lump and in such a hairstyle, plaited hair is piled on the top or at back into a lump. In Ṛgveda^[5] , Sinīvālī is described in one context as Pṛthustukā meaning one having broad tresses. Likewise Viśitastukā is an epithet of Rodhaśī, having long tresses^[6].

5. Kesaraprabandha

In Kesaraprabandha, hair is arranged in such a way that it falls down to the neck like mane of lion.

6. Kaparda

In Kaparda style, braided hair is tied into a coil on top at different angles. When Kaparda is arranged at right side, it is called Dakṣiṇakaparda. Kaparda worn in front is known as Pulasti. Both men and women kept hair in this style. Gods Puṣā, Rudra and godess Sinīvālī are represented in such coiffure^[7].

Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa records some other styles namely, Dakṣiṇāvarta, Taraṅga and Vardhara. Of these Vardhara is parted hair, while other two styles could not be exactly identified. Siṃhakesara style also is mentioned there.

In addition to the above listed styles, fashions of coiffures were varied according to one’s own wish as well as the skill of the dressers. In Saundarananda^[8], Aśvaghoṣa has depicted Nanda as wearing an umbrella -cut-coiffure. Similarly Sundarī’s hair style is compared in one place to the cuckoo bird sitting on the flower of a Tilaka tree^[9].

Young girls tied their hair into four braids, while hermit girls and women in separation kept Ekaveṇī. Śakuntalā, Darupadī as Sairandhrī in Virāṭa’s palace, Sītā in Rāvaṇa’s grove etc. are some examples. Women in separation sometimes left their hair unbraided. We meet with Vāsavadattā in Śiśupālavadha and Yakṣa’s wife in Meghadūta in such a situation with tangled, oil free and unbraided hair. Married women usually parted their hair leaving a line called Sīmanta in the middle or in one side. They wore Sindūra on this line. Wiping this Sīmanta line symbolised their widowhood. But Kuntī in Mahābhārata^[10] is an exception to this. There in some contexts we find the widowed Kuntī having Sīmanta line on her head. There was a custom of parting the hair of the pregnant lady in her sixth or seventh month of pregnancy. This ceremony known as Sīmantonnayana^[11] is mentioned in Gṛhyasūtras, which is still in practice among the Brāhmaṇas. In this ceremony, the husband had to part his wife’s hair with a porcupine quill or with a twig of Śamī tree. As pointed out earlier, a bride in Vedic period wore hair in Kurīra style. But from Āpastamba-gṛhyasūtra^[12], we learn that there was a custom of uniting the bride’s two locks by the bride groom during the ceremony. From this we can infer that besides Kurīra, there was a style of tying the hair into two braids among the brides. Perhaps these two hair styles were followed by two different sects. Ascetics didn’t care their hair and hence it will be matted. Ṛgveda^[13] depicts sage Vasiṣṭha in such a coiffure.

In Vālmīki-rāmāyaṇa, we read of Rāma setting out for forest saying thus -

[...]^[14]

Courtesans wore hair in different styles according to their own wish. They decorated their coiffure with flowers also. Usually Brāhmaṇas wore a tuft of hair on top, leaving the other sides clean shaved.

As pointed out in the introduction, coiffures were varied in accordance with the customs and traditions followed by each family. Gṛhyasūtras allude to the fashions of coiffures of various family sects. While describing the Cūḍākaraṇa ceremony, Āpastamba-gṛhyasūtra^[15] and Gobhila-gṛhyasūtra^[16] suggest to follow the custom of the family in arranging the boy’s hair. Kātyāyanagṛhyasūtra (Kātyāyana-gṛhyasūtra)^[17] gives an account of the hair fashions of the various Gotras. Thus those belonging to Vasiṣṭhagotra, tied the braided hair into a knot on the right side. The followers of Atri and Kaśyapa wore a lock of braided hair on each side. Custom of the Bhṛgugotra was to shave the head completely.

Among the descendants of Aṅgiras, all the three styles were prevalent. Some shaved their hair leaving a row of hair -Vāji. Others kept five knots on top. Wearing one knot at the nape was the fashion of some others. Gṛhyasūtras record the hairdressing of celibates^[18] also. Thus a celibate can either tie his hair into plaits or into a top knot or can leave the head clean shaved. Fashions of coiffures were varied according to different regions also. In Nāṭyaśāstra^[19], Bharata gives an account of the hair styles of women belonging to different regions. Thus curled forelocks were the fashion of Avantī (Malwa) ladies. Ābhīra ladies arranged hair into two braids. Women of northeast piled hair on the top. Coiffure of women belonging to south was in Ullekhya style, in which hair is arranged on top in the shape of a Kumbha (Water vessel). Gauḍī (Bengal) women practiced three styles. Some wore hair like a pig tail. Others tied into top knots. Some others arranged into a braid and decorated it with pearl nets. Rājaśekhara^[20] and Dāmodaragupta^[21] also record the fashion of coiffures prevalent in different regions. Rājaśekhara mentions that ladies of Kanyākubja were very fashionable and hence women of other regions followed the hairstyles and fashion of dress adopted by the Kanyākubja ladies.

Hair Care:

As mentioned in the introduction, good hair is an object of beauty ever. Sukeśi is a common expression denoting a beautiful lady. Usually women grew long hair. Men also grew their hair up to shoulders. They took much care in maintaining their beautiful hair. Incenses made of various herbs were used to dry and perfume hair. For removing lice, they fumigated hair with certain medicines. Āyurvedic treatises prescribe some hair tonics for luxuriant growth of hair. Anti lice medicines and remedies for baldness, grayness etc. are also mentioned there. It is interesting to note in this connection that there was even a society of hairdressers, who were employed in the royal palace

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

2.6.95, 96

[2]:

VII.33.1

[3]:

V.31.1

[4]:

Aṣṭādhyāyī, IV.1.42

[5]:

X.86.8

[6]:

Ṛgveda, V.167.5

[7]:

Ibid, X.103.8, I.114,VI.55, IX.6711

[8]:

I.51

[9]:

Ibid, VII.7

[10]:

IX.62.56,V.80.20, 88.97

[11]:

Śāṅkhāyana-gṛhyasūtra, I.24.6, Āpastambagṛhyasūtra (Āpastamba-gṛhyasūtra), VI.15.8,

[12]:

1.7.16-18

[13]:

VII.331

[14]:

II.52

[15]:

India of Vedic Kalpasūtras (IVK), p.161

[16]:

Ibid

[17]:

Ibid, pp.161-162

[18]:

Ibid

[19]:

XXI, vv. 67-71

[20]:

Kāvyamīmāṃsā, Act. III

[21]:

Kuṭṭanīmata, vv.65, 62,739, 866