Dressing style of Children

Depiction of children in the sculptural art of this period can only be seen very rarely. In the Govardhanadhari panel at Mamallapuram five children are seen. Of which three are infants. It is quite normal for an infant to be bare bodied. However, there seems to be at least a kaupina hanging from the waist. Because the one shown seated on the thigh of its mother, near the man playing the flute, is shown having a thin band at the waist. The band could be identified as the waist-thread (kati-sutra), which serves the dual purpose of wearing a protective amulet and holding the cloth in its position.

Again depiction of a child can be seen in the form of Skanda in the various Somaskanda panels adorning the rear wall of the garbhagriha or shrine-cells in the rock-cut cave temples, monolithic rathas and structural temples. In this case also he seems to be bare bodied, however, with a conical head-dress and the prominent channa-vira across the chest.

It is known through puranic references that Krishna had performed most of his leelas in Gokula and Brindavan as a child. So the depictions of Krishna as Kaliyamardana on the Dharmaraja-ratha at Mamallapuram and as Bakasuravada and Kaliyamardana in the adhisthana of Pundarikaksha perumal at Tiruvellari can be regarded as representing the children of the period. In the Bakasuravada panel (fig. 121), the lower garment of Krishna can be clearly seen in the form of a janghia (modern equivalent to shorts) reaching up to his thigh portion.