Previous Year Question

The correct answer is Neck.

During the Rig Vedic period, Niska was primarily a gold ornament worn around the neck. References to its use occur in the Rigveda, and expressions such as Niska-griva in Vedic literature also make it clear that Niska was associated with the neck.

In Rig Vedic society, both men and women wore ornaments. Different ornaments are mentioned for different parts of the body. Karnashobhana was an ear ornament, Khadi could be worn on the arm or leg, while Rukma was worn on the chest. In contrast, Niska was a gold ornament worn around the neck.

The importance of Niska was not confined to ornamentation. Vedic literature also refers to Niskas being given as gifts and as objects of value. Gradually, they also came to be used as objects for measuring value or as a medium of exchange. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to regard Niska as a fully developed coin like the coins of later periods, but it functioned both as an ornament and as an object possessing economic value.