CHENNAI: There is nothing new in that French braid or curls that you style your locks in — it has all been done centuries ago! And if you want to get a few ideas for your next experiment, just head to the Museum at Fort St George to get ideas from the ‘Hairstyle in Indian Art’ exhibition.
What’s in a hairstyle? Not just style, but a reflection of your personality; and in ancient times, a reflection of your status in society. Kesa-vinyas, the travelling exhibition by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), depicts hairstyles right from the Harappan and Mohenjo-daro civilisations to the late medieval period.
At the exhibition, which describes around 100 hairstyles, one of them is a Chola period stone figure from Chidambaram that depicts ‘hair arranged in curls in front and a large beehive shaped bun on the left’. While another depicts a lady with ‘a conch-shaped bun’ from Halebid, Karnataka.
The exhibition also has images of ornamental combs and mirrors used by the ancient folk. In fact, the combs themselves were used as clips to keep the hair in place.
“Using these combs, our ancestors could do even complex hairstyles like curls. Today we have these curlers which use electricity. Imagine how they did it in ancient times!” remarks Neeti Anilkumar, assistant archaeologist at Fort Museum. Hairstyles in art were a reflection of your status. Pointing to a portrait of Raja Raja Chola and his guru Karuvurar from the Chola period, she explains, “The king is meeting his guru and he is not wearing his crown. But his guru is wearing ornaments in his hair, which is not a usual practice. This tells us that even if it was a king, his guru is superior to him.”
There is another picture of a statue from Sirimushnam (Tamil Nadu) during the Vijaynagara period, she says, “This woman has tightly braided her hair without much ornamentation. This indicates that she is probably heading to a place of worship.” Referring to a sculpture where a woman has curled locks decked with a jewel, Neeti says, “This woman was probably going to a festival or an event.” Hairstyle was also a reflection of personality — Lord Shiva, for instance, is generally depicted with unkempt hair, to reflect his wild spirit, while the Buddha’s hairstyle reflects the peaceful inner self.
Would You Like a Selfie With Begum or King?
The exhibition has a selfie booth where you can pose with hairstyles of Begum Hazarat Mahal or King Ashoka. Scheduled to be open until April 30, the exhibition will be extended due to popular demand