2.17. Dressing According to Region

Dresses of people belonging to different regions were different. We have incidental reference to the costume of different countries in our literature. In Pratimānāṭaka^[1], Bhāsa has alluded to different styles prevalent in different Janapadas. There we find that people of Ayodhyā wore dress in different ways on the basis of their hierarchy, but people of Kekaya had a common dress code. Rājaśekhara’s works, especially Kāvyamīmāṃsā^[2], informs us the different styles of dressing of women from different regions. Thus a Bengal lady is represented as exposing her fore arms, which indicates the possibility of wearing a sleeveless or half sleeved upper garment. Women of Kanuj wore their dress in such a way that it encircled their body from thighs to ankles. Though Rājaśekhara has not mentioned the costume of Pāñcālas and Decan region, it is stated in Kāvyamīmāṃsā that men of Avantī had a special fondness towards the costume of Pāñcālas, while their women liked that of Decan region. Keralite women are described as wearing their dress in such a way that it encircled their body from just above the breast to the ankles. It was held tight with a knot in the region of armpit. Ladies from Afghanistan are described as attired in wool. Regarding the dressing of Maharashtrians also we get information from Viddhasālabhañjikā^[3].

From Mānasollāsa^[4], we get a picture of the dressing style of ladies of Gujarath and Andhra. There, the two damsels from the above said countries attending Someśvara’s court are described as wearing their cloth in such a style that its free end passing over the right shoulder. Such a style is still prevalent in the northern regions of India.