The Hair and the Usnisa on the Head of the Buddhas and the Jinas
By Ramaprasad Chanda
Summary
Ramprasad Chanda’s essay addresses a curious problem in Indian iconography: why do images of the Buddha and the Jinas show either a prominent usnisa (cranial protuberance or topknot) or close‑cropped hair when texts describe the founders as shaven‑headed ascetics? Chanda reviews earlier scholarship, notably Ananda Coomaraswamy’s study of the Buddha’s cūḍā and usnīṣa, and notes that interpretations vary. Some art historians consider the usnisa a symbolic mark of spiritual wisdom; others suggest it is a stylised representation of matted locks or a crown. Chanda draws upon Pali literature, citing the Nidānakathā’s description of Prince Siddhārtha cutting off his hair with his sword before renouncing the world. The resulting hair is said to have remained two inches long throughout his life, implying that the Buddha retained short curls rather than shaving completely. Turning to Jain sources, Chanda quotes the Ācārāṅga‑sūtra, which states that Mahavira plucked out his hair in five handfuls when he became an ascetic, but that Śakra caught the hair in a jewel cup and preserved it. The Kalpasūtra similarly records that all twenty‑three predecessors of Mahavira plucked their hair and became bald monks. Only Rsabha is depicted with matted locks like Brahmanical hermits. Iconographers may have been influenced by these varying narratives: some images of the Jinas show smooth heads, while others show bumps covered by ringlets. Chanda suggests that the usnisa originally represented a turban or hair knot worn by kṣatriya princes and that sculptors adapted this motif when depicting the divine. As Jainism and Buddhism spread, regional artists blended local styles with textual prescriptions, leading to diverse representations. He concludes by noting that a fully emancipated soul, surveying the universe, does not depend on bodily marks for recognition; therefore the usnisa should be understood as a conventional artistic device rather than an essential doctrinal symbol. The essay thus bridges textual studies with visual analysis and encourages a nuanced understanding of how religious communities use art to express complex theological ideas.
Conclusion
Chanda concludes that the usnisa and varied hair depictions in Buddhist and Jain art reflect the interplay between textual descriptions, regional artistic conventions and symbolic intent. Early narratives describe both shaving and hair cutting; artists translated these into visible cues such as curls or bumps. Rather than representing a historical hairstyle, the usnisa symbolises spiritual authority and became a conventional motif in South Asian iconography. Recognising this helps viewers appreciate the diversity of religious art without imposing rigid literal interpretations.