Arts in the Puranas (study)
by Meena Devadatta Jeste | 1973 | 74,370 words
This essay studies the Arts in the Puranas by reconstructing the theory of six major fine arts—Music, Dance, Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, and Literature—from the Major and Minor Puranas. This thesis shows how ancient sages studied these arts within the context of cultural traditions of ancient India....
9. Mandapas (halls, porches)
MANDAPAS In the Matsya Purana (Chap. 269) twenty seven kinds of Mandapas (halls, porches) are described. Mandapa is a detached building, a pavilion, an open hall, an arbour, or a corridor. 81 82 The Mandapa should be built to the north or east of the temple. It should have four faces (facades) and be furnished with four arched gateways (lit. arches). The Mandapas are said to be of three kinds; viz. Uttana, Madhyama Their names are -- (1) Puspaka (2) Puspabhadra, and Kanisthe. (3) Suvrata (4) Arta-nandana (5) Kausalya (6) BuddhiSankirna (7) Gajabhadra (8) Jayavana (9) Srivatsa (10) Vijaya (11) Vastu kirti (12) Brutajaya (13) Yajna-bhadra (14) Visala (15) Sualista (16) Satrumardana (17) Bhiga-panca (18) Nandana (19) Manava (20) Mana-bhadraka (21) Sugriva (22) Harita (23) Karnikira (24) Setardhika (25) Sinha (26) Syama (27) Subhadra. Then their characteristics are given. They are divided according to the number of their columns. The largest one (Puspaka) is furnished with 64 pillars, the next 62, one following 60 and so on. The plan or mandapas is given next. They should be made triangular, circular, octagonal, or with sixteen sides or they are square. 83 The Garuda Purana (Ch.47 and 48) referred to the 84 Mandapas. The Garuda Purana states that a Mandapa should be erected in front of a temple of ten or twelve cubits supported
- 165 by sixteen pillars. In its centre an altar of four cubits should be constructed and bedecked with standards. Agni Purana mentions that the Mandapas should measure twenty cubits in length, twenty-eight cubits in height, and the width of the wall should measure nine cubits. The Mandapas known as Sisirasraya, the sivakhya, the Rudrahina and the Sadobhaya are mentioned here. The Mandapas belonging to the Savitra class should measure eighteen cubits in length and fifteen in breadth and the width of the walls should be made equal to a thirtieth part of the above area. The height of the walls above the plinth should measure thrice the width thereof. The ground elevation which should vary both in shape and size according to the number of passages intersecting the same, 85 should be in the same line as the foot of the wall.