The Hindostanee ladies do not wear shoes, but when walking, a pair of slippers are put on for the occasion; so soon as the lady returns to her seat on the satrinje, or carpet, they are thrown aside. Such as are formed without heels, and have the back part made to flatten down under the foot, for that part is seldom, if ever, raised, are known by the name of k’hous; while those made without any back-piece, the quarters terminating under the ancles on each side, and that have raised heels, to perhaps the height of an inch, are designated chinauls. In either kind, as well as in the jooties worn by men, the toe-part is terminated by a long pointed strip, usually of leather lined with cloth, that curls inwards over the toes; without this, the shoes would be considered both unfinished, and vulgar. Men commonly wear only embroidered shoes, but the women have frequently an abundance of various colored foils, principally purple or green, fastened down to the body of the vamp, (which is of some bright colored broad cloth,) and serving, by the manner in which they are disposed, to fill up the pattern of the embroidery: this may be either of gold or silver thread, or, perhaps, very small bugles, not dissimilar to seed-pearls. Those who cannot afford such decorations, which may raise the price of a pair of shoes to about four or five rupees; content themselves with silken ornaments. The low price of a pair of shoes ornamented as above described, cannot fail to strike the reader, who will be yet more astonished to learn, that an admirably well-dressed hide may be had in any part of the country for less than five shillings; such as would sell with us for about thirty shillings, or even more. Those stout shoes worn by our native soldiery, rarely cost more than from four to eight annas the pair, (equal to from eight to sixteen pence.) Neither men nor women use stockings; though, during the winter months, the more opulent sometimes wear a short kind of sock, called a jooraub, made of cotton, or of silk, perhaps both intermixed, and of various colored patterns. These are remarkably thick, but rarely reach above the ancle. Persons of the first rank, have their jooraubs, as also their dustannahs, or gloves, made of shawl; strange to say, these are usually of the form in use among us for children; that is, they have a receptacle for the thumb, but the fingers are all contained in the same bag, or cyst. It is, however, very uncommon to see a woman, of whatever rank, wear gloves: this is, no doubt, owing to the pride they take in their hands, which are invariably ornamented with gold or silver rings, &c., to the utmost extent of their purses. In fact, the whole attention of a Hindostanee woman, retained in the family of an European, is directed towards the accumulation of trinkets, which may be supposed to be tolerably expensive, when it is understood that nothing less than solid silver is admissible. Gilt, or plated, ornaments, are held to be disreputable, and unlucky; hence, the moolumbah, or plating trade, is very little followed in India; though the jewellers will sometimes pass off a coated, for a solid article; especially in gold work.
The following are the ornaments chiefly worn by the Hindostanee ladies. The maung-teekah, meaning the frontal, ornament, has usually a star, or radiated centre, of about two inches in diameter, set in gold, and richly ornamented with small pearls, of which, various chains are attached, aiding to support it in its position; namely, on the centre of the forehead. A triple, or quadruple, row of pearls, passes up the centre of the maung, or front; the hair being divided, and kept down very flat. The centre piece, (and, occasionally, each end piece also,) is composed of precious stones, such as the topaz, the emerald, the amethyst, the ruby, &c.: sometimes the centre is of one color, and all the rays of some other; or perhaps the latter are alternate. The maung-teekah, as may be judged from the above description, is not a very light ornament, but is extremely splendid, and, being generally set in gold, often very valuable: one of a very ordinary description will cost full twelve or fifteen guineas, though composed of colored glass, or chrystal, or foils: when made of precious stones, the price may reach to any extent.
The kurrum-phool, is not unlike the centre piece of a maung-teekah, and may be about the same size, though usually somewhat less in diameter. This ornament is fastened to the lobe of the ear, both by the usual mode of piercing, and by a chain of gold passing over the ear, so as to bear the weight of the kurrum-phool; which would else cause the lobe to be greatly extended downward. It is, however, to be remarked, that most of the common women have large holes in that part of the ear, wide enough to pass a finger through; and that even the higher orders consider an aperture such as would admit a pea, rather honorable, than otherwise; under the opinion of its indicating the great weight, and consequent value, of their jewels.
The joomkah is ever of solid gold, silver being in this absolutely interdicted by the laws of taste; in framing which, pride seems to have had no very small share. This ornament consists of a hollow hemisphere, or bell, curiously fillagreed, and about three fourths of an inch in diameter; the edges suspend small rods, or pendants of gold, each furnished with one or more small pearls, garnets, &c.; perhaps to the number of a dozen pendants being attached to the circumference of each joomkah. The upper part is furnished with a small perforated stud, sometimes ornamented, through which a ring, about the thickness of a fine knitting-needle, and not less than half an inch in diameter, is inserted; it previously passing through the ear in the part usually pierced. This ring, as well as every other kind of fastening made to pass through the ears, or nose, is made of the purest gold, and so pliant as to allow the little hook made at one end, by bending the wire, for the purpose of fixing into a minute loop, or eye, formed, at the other end, by twisting it, to be straightened, at pleasure, by means of the nail only.
European ladies content themselves with one appendage at each ear; while the females of Hindostan think it impossible to have too many: thus, they affix a number of small rings, of pure gold, or, in case of poverty, of silver, or even of tin, all along the border of the ear; which is pierced for that purpose in at least a dozen places, to receive these ornaments, from which much distress often arises, owing to the veil (already described) frequently hitching upon the small hooked ends of the wire.
The nose has its share in the decorations of the Hindostanee fair, it usually bearing two ornaments; one, called a n’hut, commonly passed through the left nostril, consists only of a piece of gold wire, as thick as a small knitting-needle, with the usual hook and eye, and having the centre, or nearly so, furnished with several garnets, pearls, &c. perhaps to the number of five or six, each parted from its neighbour by a thin plate of gold, usually having serrated, or escaloped edges, and being fixed transversely upon the wire, which passes through their centres, as well as through the garnets, pearls, &c. The diameter of the circle of a n’hut may be, ordinarily, about two inches and a half. On the coast of Coromandel, a similar ornament is worn by men of respectability, in each ear.
The other nasal trinket is called a bolauk; it is flat, something in the form of that article of furniture called a footman, and has a small ring, with hook and eye, at its narrowest part, for the purpose of appending it to the middle of the nose, by means of a gold ring passing through the septum, or division between the nostrils; the ornament lying flat upon the upper lip, and having its broad end furnished with pendants, similar to those on a joomkah. It is inconceivable what some women undergo for the sake of displaying their riches in this way! Not only does the bolauk interfere with the operations of the lips during meals, but sores of the most unsightly description are often created, in that very tender part to which the ornament attaches, by those innumerable accidents, which not even the most constant vigilance can prevent.
The neck is not forgotten among those lavish decorations of which the sable ladies are so fond; it is furnished with various kinds of necklace, of which I shall describe only the chumpauk-gully. This is made of separate rays, each intended to represent a petal of the chumpauk, (a flower indigenous throughout Asia,) and having a fixed ring, or staple, at its butt, so that the whole may be strung close together, perhaps to the number of forty pieces, or more. This ornament is usually worn rather loose, that it may reach half way down the bosom. The mounting is gold, or silver, according to the means of the wearer; and the rays, or petals, are, in imitation of the maung-teekah; either chrystals, set on foils, chiefly white; or they are precious stones, of one color, throughout the ornament.
The haunseah is a solid collar of gold, or silver, weighing from perhaps, four ounces to near a pound. I have seen several that approached the latter weight, and must have been highly oppressive to the wearer; especially as they only came into use on high days and holidays: the general standard may be computed at about six or seven ounces. Being made of pure metal, they are easily bent, so as to be put on and off. Haunseahs are commonly square in front, under the chin, for several inches, and taper off gradually to not more than half their greatest diameter; terminating at each end with a small knob, cut into a polygonal form: this ornament is sometimes carved in the Oriental style, either for its whole length, or on the front part only.
Most of the Hindostanee women wear tabeejes, strung upon an assemblage of black silk threads, passing round their necks, and reaching to their middles: these tabeejes are silver cases, enclosing either quotations from the Koran, or some mystical writings, or some rubbish from the animal or vegetable kingdom, but, I believe, never any camphor (as lately used by a celebrated English lady). Whatever the contents may be, great reliance is placed on their efficacy in repelling disease, and in averting the influence of witch-craft, (j’haddoo,) of which the people of India, of every sect, entertain the most unlimited dread. Hence, it is not uncommon to see half a dozen, or more, of these charms strung upon the same threads.