In the earlier period, the men also used to keep long hair like the women. They used to wear different kinds of headgears also. In ancient times, these headgears used to be very simple but later it became more elaborate and decorative.

Some of the coronets and hairstyles can be found only in images of South India. These include:

Kirita Mukuta
It is a conical cap covered by an ornamental top. The front side of it has a jewel or a central motif. The rest of the Kirita Mukuta is covered with small designs. It is odd to Vaishnavite images.

Karanda Mukuta
The Karanda Muluta is a small coronet. The shape of it is like an inverted bowl or a flowerpot. It does not have much decoration and is shallower and simpler than the others.

Some minor deities and most of the goddesses wear it when they have their spouse with them.

Jata Mukuta
Jata Mukuta is a hairstyle, which is decorated like a coronet. The entangled locks of the hair are intertwined to form a tall crown on the top of the head. Then lots of jewels are put on it. Lord Siva wears it with a crescent moon, skull and cobra coiled on the left side. Lord Brahma also wears it but without the crescent moon, skull or cobra.

Kesa Bandha
Kesa Bandha is kind of hairstyle in which the hair is neatly combed and tied in a knot at the back. Many varieties of the knot is applied and sometimes floral garlands are fixed around it. This is the usual hairstyle of goddess Saraswati. One variety of this `Kesa bandha` is adopted by the goddess Lakshmi.

Jata-bandha
Jata bandha is a kind of hairstyle in which the matted hair is tied together. The saints and the ascetics generally follow this type of hairstyle. One type of this hairstyle gives the look like a basket tied round the head. This hairstyle can be seen in the images of devotees and also in one form of Siva where he wanders around with a begging bowl.

When the ends of the matted locks are let loose, they spread out in a fanlike fashion as seen in the dancing poses of Siva. In case of Kali, sometimes a flame itself becomes the headgear and it is known as the `Jwala-mukuta`.