Architectural data in the Puranas
by Sharda Devi | 2005 | 50,074 words
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 ar...
Slope of the Land
According to the Matsya Purana 78 a general principal of vastusastra is that land having slope towards east causes growth and prosperity; slope towards. north brings prosperity; slope towards west causes loss of wealth and knowledge; and slope towards south brings death in the family. According to the ancient scriptures, a land with slope towards north is auspicious for Brahmans, slope towards east is auspicious for Ksatriya, towards south it is auspicious for Vaisya and towards west for all the other classes of people. However, Brahmana can build his house on land having slope in any direction, but the other classes should select a land with slope as given above, then only it will be beneficial to them.
a N 17 b Fig. 9 Examples of Dvisala Vastu (Fig. 9(a-c) redrawn after Bhojraj Dwivedi, 1998) 73