Architectural data in the Puranas

by Sharda Devi | 2005 | 50,074 words

Hinduism Vastushastra

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Summary: This essay studies ancient Indian architectural science as found in technical treatises and the Puranas, with special reference to the Matsya, Garuda, Agni and Bhavishya Puranas. These texts detail ancient architectural practices, covering temple and domestic designs, dimensional specifications, and construction rules. The study further connects archaeological and literary sources with early medieval monuments.

Copyright:
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Source 1: exoticindiaart.com
Source 2: shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in

Contents of this online book ( + / - )

The full text of the Architectural data in the Puranas in English is available here and publically accesible (free to read online). Of course, I would always recommend buying the book so you get the latest edition. You can see all this book’s content by visiting the pages in the below index:

Warning! This document has not been proofread. However, for each page you can (and should) verify the text with the original source PDF file.

Chapter 1 - Introduction

+ Chapter 2 - What is Vastu

. Introduction—What is Vastu or Vastupurusha-Mandala?

. The origin and concept of Vastu-purusha

. Vastu-pada-vinyasa—the plan

. 64 and 81 squares diagrams

. The importance of Vastu

. Characteristics of the Ground

. Shapes of the Plot

. The names of Vastu

. Slope of the Land

. Extension of Plots

. Location of the plot

. The concept of Vastu-pariksha

. The Offerings

. Shila-nyasa (foundation laying ceremony)

. Effects and Influences

. Notes and References for chapter 1

+ Chapter 3 - Temples

. Origin of the Temple

. Aims of building a Temple

. Selection of Site (for building a Temple)

. Laying the Foundation Stone

. Surroundings of Temple

. The material for building a Temple

. The different types of Temples

. General features: Ground plan and Elevation

. Erection of Door and Banner

. Erection and Plan of Mandapas

. Consecration of the Divinities

. Notes and References for chapter 2

+ Chapter 4 - Forts

. Introduction—Fots in ancient India

. Classification of Forts

. Forts and their extent

. Notes and References for chapter 3

+ Chapter 5 - Palace architecture

. Introduction—Palace architecture in ancient India

. Meaning of the Prasada

. Symbolism of the Palace

. Selection of site for Palace

. Dimensions of the Palace

. Palace: residential distribution

. Application of Vastupurusha-mandala in Palace architecture

. Notes and References for chapter 4

+ Chapter 6 - Houses

. Introduction—House architecture in ancient India

. Selection of Site (for building houses)

. Examination of Soil

. Muhurat of Building or Silanyas

. Effects of Building

. Location of Door

. Guidelines for the Home Ceremony

. Importance of Trees and Plants

. Height of Building

. Use of Material (for the constuction of houses)

. Shape of House

. The Rooms and their position in the House

. Notes and References for chapter 5

Chapter 7 - Conclusion

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Last Updated: 04 October, 2024

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