Part 9.3-4 - Measurement of Kavāṭa (Door-leaves)

[Full title: The arrangement of doors (dvāra-vidhāna) (3-4) Measurement of Door-leaves (kavāṭa)]

Door leaves or kavāṭa enhance the beauty and allure of rooms. It is recommended that the width of door leaves should be measured by the width of the pillars of the corresponding storey. It should be of the pillars one-third or one-quarter, or one-fifth of the pillars. Doors consisting two leaves are only suitable for gods, brāhmaṇa, and kings. On the other hand, one-leaf doors are recommended for others except vassal princesses.

Maya says that—

kabāṭavahalaṃ proktaṃ devadvijamahībhūtāṃ ||
dvikavāṭaviśeṣeṇa eka eva prakīrtitaḥ |
sāmantapramukhādīnāṃ dvikavāṭaṃ praśssyate || (Mayamata 30.13-14)

The text Iśānaśivagurupaddhati also mentions the measurement of the doors. It is referred that-

daṇḍacatuṣṣaḍaṣāṃśaṃ kavāṭaphlakāghanaṃ | (Iśānaśivagurupaddhati 31.113)

It means that the door leaves should be calculated as four-sixth of the corresponding pillars.

Height of the Door leaves:

The height of the door leaves should be four and a half, five, seven, eight, or eleven hands. This height should be according to the height of the inner pillar of the corresponding storey. Half of this measurement is for the gulpha (the lower frame) and half for the vimala (the upper frame). This is kept slightly thick for strength. A sarpa (a component that controls the opening and closing of the door) is installed in the inner part of the leaves, and its height is equal to two-thirds of the leaves or fourfifths of the leaves. 

Maya says that: 

sārdhavedeṣupātālanandarudrakarānvitaiḥ |
uccāni tāni talpāni veśmābhyantaratodayāt ||
gulphārdhavimalārdhaṃ tu kiñcittīvraṃ yathābalṃ |
veśmābhyantaratalpocce tricatuṣpañcabhāgike || (Mayamata 30.15-16)

The term ‘gulpha’ has been mentioned in several treatises of vāstuśāstra.

The text Śilparatna records that:

dvārocce śeṣapādocce dvādaśaṃśavibhājate |
śironmānaṃ tu saptāṃśaṃ pañcāṃśaṃ gulphmiṣyate || (Śilparatna 22.26)

The term gulpha is also known as bhūvaṅga, ādhārapaṭṭikā, or paṭṭika.

Maya suggests that:

yugme mahattare'lpe ca dakṣiṇasthe kavāṭake ||
vipule cāyate tasmiṃstryaṃśe cañcāṃśake kṛte | (Mayamata 30.17-18)

It means-for the two-leaf door, one leaf should be built larger than the other, with the right side of the leaf divided into fifteen squares, with a division of five parts in height and three parts in width. Among these fifteen squares, three squares should be reserved for the upper part as well as for the button part of the door. A vertical row comprising three squares should also be reserved for each side. Therefore, the remaining three squares in the middle should be strengthened by iron sheet. This middle part of the door is known as the wicket door (āvāra). This door is mentioned in the text Arthaśāstra as āṇidvāra.

kiṣkumātraṃ āṇidvāramantarikāyāṃ khaṇḍaphullārtharṃ kārayet | (Arthaśāstra. 3.8.3)

[“The front door (anidvāra) shall measure a kiṣku; there shall be no impediment inside the house for opening one or the other of the folds of the door.”]^[1]

The diameter of the socket (bhājana) should be measured with three, four, and five digits for large, medium, and small buildings, respectively. It is also to be prepared with proportions of half, two-thirds, threequarters, or one-third of the exterior width of the socket. It is also referred to that the diameter of the door socket should be determined by ten digits, or it should be equal to the width of the hinge pin. Maya prescribes that when a leaf of the door contains numerous phalaka (planks), in odd number (ajugma) used. The middle of the leaf is to be free from any kind of joint. Bheṣaṇī, the supporting elements, should not be placed in the middle of the leaf. Bheṣaṇī is not required in the two-leaf door. 

Maya mentions that—

talpasya bheṣanī caiva madhyaṃ tyaktvā samāhite |
kavātayugalopete yathābalamabheṣaṇī || (Mayamata 30.23)

Door leaves can be decorated with talpa (laths). It starts from three daṇḍa and goes to eleven daṇḍa by successive increments two cubits. Their thickness is to be prescribed half of the leaf and width should be measured double compare to the thickness. Maya says that the shape of the lath is like a horse’s shoulder or hoof or it may be design as like peepul leaf or a svastika; or it could be like to ghaṭikā or mirnṇaka. Ghaṭikā is derived from the Tamil word kaṭikai, means a closing bar.

Maya states that-

daṇḍatripañcasaptaiva nvaikādaśasaṃkhyayā |
aśvaskandha nakhābhāste’śvatthapatrāgrasnnibhā || (Mayamata 30.24-25)

Here the word daṇḍa does not indicate the measurement unit. Dagens explained the word–

“Those rather thin and narrow pieces are probably applied on the door leaves in order to reinforce or to decorate them.”^[2]

Following door ornaments are prescribed for the proper decoration of the door in Mayamata.

➢ Glory masks (Srimukha);
➢ Breast like ornaments (Vāmadaṇḍa);
➢ Case, niche (Pinñjarī);
➢ Gorges (Galaka);
➢ Inside closing devise (Argala);
➢ Outside Closing device (Kṣepana);
➢ Covering features of join (Sandhipatra);
➢ bouquet, branches and bushes (Gucchagaivanaka);
➢ Interior handle (Antargatagrāhya);
➢ Ornaments like to tail;
➢ Middle ring (Madhyakuṇḍala);
➢ Protecting bars in door horn (Viṣāṇaparighā)
➢ Small laths (Kṣudradaṇḍa)

The door leaf is to be adorned with vertical bolts (indrakīla) and other necessary features for proper decoration. It should be reinforced using various metal fixtures. However, it is not specified whether the vertical bolt is to be placed inside or outside of the door leaf.

It is prescribed that a rabbet bar (skandhapattikā) should be made between the two leaves of the door. The rabbet bar resembles a groovecut design that should be arranged at the edge of the wood or other materials. The thickness of the rabbet bar should be equal to the leaf, and the width should be twice its thickness. 

Maya says that:

talpatīvra samā tībradvigunaṃ vistṛtānvitā |
padmapatravicitrā sā pattāṅgaskanadhapattikā ||
praveśadakṣiṇe talpe sthāpitavyā manoharā | (Mayamata 30.31-32)

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

R. Shamasastry, Arthaśāstra, p. 239

[2]:

B. Dagens, Mayamata, vol. 2. P.689