Suransundari Applying Eye Makeup

Dating back to 10th-century India, the Parshvanatha Jain Temple relief carving of a Surasundari (heavenly beauty) is the first known depiction of “cosmetic history” in medieval South Asia. She applies eye makeup with her left hand, while she holds a long, thin brush in her right. Her pose, called Tribhanga (three bends) is an artistic exaggeration of a beautiful woman. India served as both a source of aromatic plants such as sandalwood and patchouli used in perfumes and fragrances and also a large consumer of mineral-based pigments. ¹

As we see here, “beauty routines were an important factor of social standing,” not just among the people of India but throughout the vast array of cultures connected in the medieval world. ²

The Parashvanatha Temple

Built around 950 AD – 970 AD during the golden years of the Chandella Empire, the Parshvanatha Temple is the largest and best example of Jain architecture in Khajuraho. It is built in the traditional Nagara architectural design of Northern India and its main feature is a tall, curved tower (Shikhar), which represents the ascending journey of the human soul towards ultimate salvation.

Another reason why the Parshvanatha Temple is so special in terms of the religious unity of the time is because of its unification of spiritual ideas. While it is primarily a Jain temple, it has three bands of sculpted figures on the outside walls that depict both Jain mythology and Vaishnava Hindu mythological characters including Vishnu and Lakshm.

Unlike the Western group of Khajuraho Temples that are well-known for their explicit sexual representations, the Parshvanatha Temple focuses extensively on scenes of every day living such as music, love and domestic luxury. The wall reliefs act as a canvas that visually connects the daily life (Samsara) and spiritual liberation (Moksha) together. ³

Jianism

To fully appreciate the Surasundari painting her face at a Jain temple you need to know about the foundational principles of Jainism. Jainism is a non-theistic religion whose central ideals include: ahimsa (non-violence), aparigraha (non-acquisition), and self-denial. Ultimately, all Jains strive to eliminate their attachment to worldly karma to ultimately reach Moksha (salvation/liberation) to join the Tirthankaras, the twenty-four supreme spiritual leaders who crossed the ocean of birth/rebirth. Originally this temple was dedicated to Adinatha (the First Tirthankara) prior to being rededicated to Parshvanatha (the Twenty-third Tirthankara) who is typically depicted under a protective canopy formed by a seven-headed snake.

Although Jainism is known for its extreme asceticism, especially among members of the Digambara (“Sky-clad”) sect that traditionally managed the Khajuraho temple complex, images of beauty found in Jain temple art do celebrate the beauty of nature and heaven. In Jain cosmology, Surasundris and Apsaras are heavenly maidens that reside in the heavens. Their inclusion on the temple walls was not intended to promote vanity or sensual enjoyment. Rather, their physical attractiveness, grooming habits and complete elegance represent a person’s inner purity when they align themselves with the universe’s cosmic balance and harmony. ⁴

Cosmetics Technology and Globalized Material Exchange

The image depicts the “romantic ambiance” and fashionable culture of the time where applying make-up was a visible signifier of one’s status within society. When an artist portrays a goddess performing a beauty routine on a sacred monument they validate that beauty practices had become integrated into both cultural and spiritual aspects of society in 10th Century. ⁵ Additionally, “techniques of preparation” for cosmetics were commonly shared by “medieval women” of various religions and geographic areas demonstrating that the Silk Road was used to transfer tangible cultural knowledge as well as physical goods. ⁶

In addition to being a representation of grooming practices, the figurative device employed by artists to show these activities serves as a reference library for materials transferred via Indian trade networks. The “stylist” she uses to paint her eyes would be fashioned out of bone, ivory or metal – tools that are examples of material exchanged. Since India was the original source of many of the scented oils referenced in historic accounts this image shows the domestic use of products India traded internationally. ⁷ It illustrates how the “spreading along routes” of cosmetic practices developed a common aesthetic vocabulary that linked Jain temples in India to Palaces in China and Courts in Byzantium. ⁸

Bibliography

• Caballero-Navas, Carmen. 2008. “The Care of Women’s Health and Beauty: An Experience Shared by Medieval Jewish and Christian Women.” Journal of Medieval History 34 (2): 146–63. Source
• Jones, Geoffrey. “Cosmetics and Skin Care Products: A Historical Perspective.” Dermatologic Clinics 18, no. 4 (2000): 557–559. Source
• King, Anya. “Medieval Islamicate Aromatherapy: Medical Perspectives on Aromatics and Perfumes.” The Senses and Society 17, no. 1 (2022): 37–51. Source