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Vastu-shastra (Introduction to Indian architecture)

by D. N. Shukla | 1960 | 196,891 words | ISBN-10: 8121506115 | ISBN-13: 9788121506113

This page describes Maya: The Founder of the Dravidian school of Architecture of the study on Vastu-Shastra (Indian architecture) first part (Fundamental Canons/Literature). It discusses basic concepts such as the philosophy, astronomy, geography and history of Hindu Architecture. Vastushastra can be traced to ancient literature while this thesis also reveals details regarding some of the prime canonical works.

(iii) Maya: The Founder of the Dravidian school of Architecture

Let us now pass on to Maya, the Founder Architect Āⲹ of the so called Dravidian ٳܱ or school of Architecture. He is one of the eighteen professors of Architecture as mentioned in the Ѳٲⲹܰṇa. His position in the tradition is second only to վś첹. The Բ, the most representative text of Dravidian architecture recounts the origin of Maya from one of the faces of the four-faced վś첹, which in the context of the accounts of վś첹 representing both the cultures is perfectly in keeping with the traditions. That Maya school of Architecture was certainly different and distinct a tradition is proved by the earliest datable (550 A.D.) work on ٳśٰ, the ṛhٲṃh of ղ󲹳󾱰 where Maya and վś첹 are quoted as authors whose seemingly different statements have the same meaning. The many names of eighteen chief preceptors (峦ⲹ), seem to indicate an equal number of branches, or schools of Indian architecture prior to the sixth century A. D. and subsequently in ṣkԻ ṇḍ of 峾ⲹṇa (chap, 51) there is an interesting reference to Maya. It is told there how Maya acquired the knowledge of ś貹śٰ, the Science of architecture, treasure śԲ (auśanasam dhanam) from . This shows that the treatises of Maya and śԲ i.e. Śܰ were alike in character. And as both belong to Asuras they represented a school of their own. In the Բ վś첹 is described as the son of and husband of Indra’s daughter. This is really something very confounding and how to reconcile this description with the one in which վś첹 is regarded as the son of ʰ Vasu? It seems that վś첹 of Mānasara also belonged to a very distant epoch in history. was the foremost invader and settler in India and the վś첹, referred to in the Բ was the architect who helped his (’s) colonists propogating his lore and acquiring theirs as well. վś첹’s advent on earth to plan out habitation of men in the ṅgṇa-ūٰ also supports the above genesis and this throws a flood of light on the amalgamation of the Aryan and non-Aryan elements of culture in such a distant past as we have already adduced it from the geneology of վś첹 with especial reference to Vasus.

In the Ѳٲ, վś첹 and Maya are mentioned, not as writers but as master-masons of the Gods and the Բ respectively. վś첹 is said to have been the “master of thousand arts, the Vārdhakī (carpenter) of the gods and superior to all architects,� He also constructed the chariots of the gods. Men earned their livelihood by practising the arts invented by him and offered worship to վś첹 (I.66.29-31). վś첹 constructed the of Vaivasvata (II.8.1) and a town, for the gods, besides a statue, a necklace and wheels of the chariots, for them. Maya calls himself the վś첹 of the Բ. He constructed the magnificent assembly hall of the ṇḍ from the materials collected by him from the kingdom of the Բ king ṛṣ貹, situated to the north of ś near the Vindu-lake and to the north-east of Indraprastha (11.1.5.). We have already said that Maya is known as Danava and to have learnt the science of architecture from Śܰ, the preceptor of Բ, վś첹 and Maya represent the two schools of Indian architecture, known as and ٰ屹ḍa. Dr. Bhattacharya has elucidated this subject very elaborately and the readers are referred to, to read that book for details, Want of space forbids me to go in those details not very essential from my standpoint. So far the central thesis round which we have been labouring in the foregoing pages is now not difficult to establish that in the rise of ٳśٰ, as the science and art, two traditions have contributed to its evolution and growth. These are վś첹 and Maya traditions. Now the question is what are the distinctive points which differentiate these two traditions? This question need not be dwelt upon at length here as we shall get occasion to do that—vide Pt. V—styles of Temple architecture. Here, in brief, it may be said that these two and others maybe taken to represent as many variations as lay within the fundamental purpose of the temple which has been chief creation of Hindu science of art and architecture.

Dr. Kramrisch supports this thesis:

‘The merit of the works of the schools which made it seem worth while to record the names of their most eminent preceptors lay in the manifold and ever varying solutions of their central purpose. This was the setting up of the ʰ岹 as վԲ, proportionate in its parts and directing the form and measure of all other buildings which accrued in the service of the ʰ岹.�

And I have already remarked that the վԲs, characteristic of Āܰ architecture were really the precursors of the ʰ岹, the Nagara temples. The characteristic planning and laying out the super-structure, the ū etc. and the ornamentative motifs like Ā첹 and ū辱 etc. are some of the broad features in respect of which these two traditions have laid down their rules for the guidance of the architects in their respective domains of the styles of temple-architecture along with its component structures like columns, roofing, superstructure and its crowning part.

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