Mayamata and Building Construction (study)
by Ripan Ghosh | 2024 | 61,593 words
This page relates 鈥楢dhishthana-vidhana (Arrangement of the base)鈥擨ntroduction鈥� of the study dealing with Mayamata鈥攁n ancient Indian architectural treatise dealing with building construction (bhavana-nirmana). It forms part of 鈥淰astuvidya鈥�: a stream of Sanskrit technical literature encompassing village and town planning, temple architecture and other aspects like site selection, orientation, and structural arrangements aimed at promoting harmony and prosperity.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 1 - 础诲丑颈峁ａ弓丑腻苍补-vidh膩na (Arrangement of the base)鈥擨ntroduction
础诲丑颈峁ａ弓丑腻苍补 or the base of a building is one of the most important components in the building construction. The base serves several key purposes. For instance, it provides a stable platform to support the entire structure equally distributing the building's load. It transfers the building's load to the soil or rock beneath ensuring that the structure remains stable and secure. It also protects the building from moisture and other environmental elements that can leads to damage of the structure.
The fourteenth chapter of Mayamata deals with the procedure to make 补诲丑颈峁ａ弓丑腻苍补 or base. The word 补诲丑颈峁ａ弓丑腻苍补 is derived from the root 蝉迟丑腻 with the prefix adhi and prefix lyut.
As per the records of 鈥楢 dictionary of Hindu Architecture鈥� it means:
鈥淓tymologically (补诲丑颈峁ａ弓丑腻鈥�, to stand) it denots an object on which something stands. Hence it is the basement or the lowest member of a building. In the same way, it implies the stand or base of the coloumn, being the member between the shaft and the pedestal if there be any. Its identification with the base and basement need not be questioned.鈥�[1]
Bruno Dagens uses the word base in the place of 补诲丑颈峁ａ弓丑腻苍补. 惭腻苍补蝉腻谤补 (chap 14), 碍腻尘颈办腻驳补尘补 (chap 35) etc. treatises are also discuss this topic. Some synonymous terms of 补诲丑颈峁ａ弓丑腻苍补 mentioned at the end of Mayamata. They are鈥�尘补蝉奴谤补办补, vastv峁h膩ra, dharr膩tala峁� etc.
The process of constructing the base follows a particular sequence. It includes: ground planning, projection of the base, height of the base, etc. Here, we present all these topics with proper references from the 惫腻蝉迟耻 texts of ancient India.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
P.K Acharya, A Dictionary of Hindu Architecture, series.1 p.19