sAri, the Indian dress

[N. Ganesan]

There are examples with some kind of veil on women, possibly about
1000 years earlier than the 6-7th cent. skandamAtA from Tanesara.
Look at the head cloth in Fig.3 and Fig. 5 of yakSIs from Besnagar.
"Among the earliest sculptures of this type are two yakSas from Patna,
a yakSI from Besnagar (Figure 3), and the caurI or fly-whisk bearer
(who may or may not be a yakSI) from Didarganj (Figure 4). Because
of the characteristic use of highly polished Chunar sandstone in the
Patna and Didarganj sculptures, they are thought to have been carved
during Mauryan period (322-182 B.C.). These sculptures all exhibit,
in addition to their massive physical extension, a "monumental"
stiffness. This archaic quality of immobility persists in other,
post-Mauryan (first century B.C.) freestanding statues as well, such
as another yakSI from the Besnagar area (figure 5)".
p.14,Gail Sutherland, 1991.

Even the bhArhUt yakSI looks as though her head is covered
with a turban tightly adorned with pearls. Reminds of Madurai
Meenakshi's pearl "koNDai".

Regards,
N. Ganesan

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