A sculpture and its headcover

After death, only few are remembered forever. Few examples are Mahatma Gandhi(1869-1948) and The Buddha (563 BCE - 483 BCE or 480 BCE - 400 BCE). How about an artist who lived about 600years ago and whose name we don’t even know? If he has to leave a strong impression on us even today, how great his creation could be?

I am referring to this simple sculpture!

I saw this sculpture on the wall of a mahamandapa(Hall) in a temple. A very calm face, a simple necklace with a small pendant, earrings, half-length dress, a rod in his hand, reclining with legs crossed. If you look a little closer, you can even see a mustache with a little curl at its end. On his head, there is something that looks like a headcover. Its lower edges are done very delicately showing the strands of what looks like fibre or thread.

There is another similar sculpture on the same wall

There are few changes compared to the first sculpture. In the scalp area, we can notice a small bump in that headcover. There is a deep line running all through its edges (stitching!?) The stick is carved with lots of details. It shows evenly placed joints(nodes) implying it can be a Bamboo stick!

Initially I did not understand what is that headcover about. Then I remembered using a big folded Jute sack bag on my head, as a Do-It-Yourself style temporary rain coat during my school days in Tamilnadu. It was a common practice in villages during rains.

The sculpture is not hidden somewhere in the outer walls or on top of a pillar. It is placed on the front wall of the hall, easy to catch the attention of us. I am not able to accept that such a headcover is something made of Jute Sack bag mainly because the sculpture is in the bustling Ulsoor (Halasuru) Sri Someswarar Temple (Bangalore) and I was not sure whether there was a similar practice of using such headcovers in Karnataka too.

Though this Jute sack bag raincoat is not fully waterproof, it is light weight and due to its thickness, it does not get wet soon. It mainly helps in preventing the rainwater directly falling on the eyes obstructing the vision.

When I inquired about this from my friends, I was told, it is called "Kongadai" (“கொங்காடை”) in the Kongu regions of Tamilnadu and they have seen this type of sculptures in temples in and around Chennai .

When I searched about it , I was surprised that there are such sculptures in Hampi too.

These types of sculpture are used to represent the herdsmen called “ Idyars”( “இடையர்கள்”). Animal husbandry was a very important contribution to society in ancient times. Although agriculture is the main occupation, the milk and butter of cattle are very essential in rearing children. Cattle increase soil fertility and help in tillage. Perhaps it is because of this background that this sculpture is placed in such a prominent place! That too as two sculptures on the same wall!

In South India, cattle herders are referred to by different ethnic names like “ Idyars ”, “ Kurumbars ”, “ Kurumbas ” .

Friends informed that they are familiar with such headcovers used in Karnataka too. In a related video, I noticed such usage in Maharastra too and the head cover was made of wool!

Now I got the understanding that though I had used a headcover with a commonly available Jute Sack bag (used extensively by farmers for storage), actually the herdsmen would not have used this. Instead, they would have used woollen blankets as their head cover. After all, wool provides better protection against winds, cold weather and rain.

First, when it comes to wool, Kashmir came to my mind. The concept of wool from north end of India reaching the local herdsmen does not sound logical to me. Then I understood that even in all parts of India, they used the sheep hair to make wool. And it is appropriate and convenient for the sheep herders to make wool on their own. They have the raw materials at their arm’s length, their sheep! Probably it is a form of value addition to their profession and engages their family and community participation. Their woollen products also helps other communities.

While searching about this, I came across a surprising, pleasant information. At present, we are restricted by the rigid boundaries of states created based on languages of the region. Though it is convenient for the sake of governance, it gets exploited in dividing people too. But in ancient times, although the languages were different, the customs, art and artists were closely connected. It is easy to understand the connection of people from different regions and their inter migration through the artwork they have left behind.

A comprehensive research paper by Assistant Professors ( Ram Shepherd Bheenaveni, Malkolla Ramulu) of the Osmania University, Hyderabad is available. It covers how a community in Telegana produce woolen blankets using the sheep. The community is called "Golla-Kuruma " and the woollen blanket is called "Gongadi " .

"Kongadai" in Kongu regions of Tamilnadu and "Gongadi" in Telangana are the same. The pronunciation of the names is slightly different. That's all.

Not only this, the literature of the Tamil Sangam period (much before the beginning of the Common Era) also contains many references to the Idyars(Herdsmen) and their costumes.

Similarly, Herdsmen in different parts of India would have used this type of clothing. This practice may have existed even on a global scale as we are all somehow deeply connected through genetics and spirituality.

The sculptor is long gone. Yet, his creation continues to give us so much historical and cultural information. He continues to be remembered forever through his art.

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