<P> In the Rig Veda, mainly three terms were described like Adhivastra, Kurlra and Andpratidhi for garments which correspondingly denotes the outer cover (veil), a head - ornament or head - dress (turban) and part of woman's dress . Many evidences are found for ornaments like Niska, Rukma were used to wear in the ear and neck; there was a great use of gold beads in necklaces which show that gold was mainly used in jewellery . Rajata - Hiranya (white gold), also known as silver was not in that much of use as no evidence of silver is figured out in the Rig Veda . </P> <P> In the Atharva Veda, garments began to be made of inner cover, an outer cover and a chest - cover . Besides Kurlra and Andpratidhi (which already mentioned in the Rig Veda), there are other parts like as Nivi, Vavri, Upavasana, Kumba, Usnlsa, and Tirlta also appeared in Atharva Veda, which correspondingly denotes underwear, upper garment, veil and the last three denoting some kinds of head - dress (head - ornament). There were also mentioned Updnaha (Footwear) and kambala (blanket), Mani (jewel) is also mentioned for making ornaments in this Vedic text . </P> <P> During the Mauryan dynasty (322 - 185 BC) evidence of female clothing is available from the statues of Yakshis; the female epitome of fertility . The most common attire of the people at that time was antariya, which they used to wear as a lower garment . Generally made of cotton, linen or muslin and decorated with gemstone, it is fastened at the centre of the waist tied in a looped knot . A cloth was covered in lehnga style around the hips to form a tubular skirt . An embellished long piece of cloth, hanging at the front, wrapped around the waist is pleated into the antariya is called patka . Ladies in the Mauryan Empire often used to wear an embroidered fabric waistband with drum headed knots at the ends . As an upper garment, people's main garb was uttariya, a long scarf . The difference existed only in the manner of wearing . Sometimes, its one end is thrown over one shoulder and sometimes it is draped over both the shoulders . </P> <P> In textiles, mainly cotton, silk, linen, wool, muslin, etc. are used as fibres . Ornaments latched on to a special place in this era also . Some of the jewelleries had their specific names also . Satlari, chaulari, paklari were some of the necklaces . Similarly, bajuband, kangan, sitara, patna were also prominent during that time . </P>

Context of social history of clothing in india