CITY PLANNING IN ANCIENT INDIAEvolution of Vedic Culture, Town Planning Aspects and their development..

FY B.Tech Planning

Evolution of Aesthetics, Culture & Technology

Members presenting…4/2/2016

STRUCTURE OF THE PRESENTATION Timeline for Vedic Civilizations’ evolution. Culture of Ancient India Ancient system of Town Planning Influencing Factors

Religion. Languages Social Life Economy Technology And Science Town Planning Occupation And Trade Art And Craft

Vedic principles for Planning Cities Maps of Ancient Cities

ANCIENT SYSTEM OF TOWN PLANNING Town planning is not

new idea or science in India.

It is as old as its rich culture and tradition.

EVOLUTION OF VEDIC CIVILLIZATION

Vedic period marks the study period for this presentation (basis of study).

INDUS VALLEY

VEDIC CIVILIZATION

Evolution

VEDIC CIVILIZATION (10000 – 3000B.C.)

India is country which passes huge ancient knowledge in the form of Vedas. “Vedas” means knowledge. They describes the study of basic meaning, type and form of our ancient knowledge and wisdom. There are four Vedas in ancient wisdom.

Rig-Veda- Termed as stuti of gods.

Samavda- Describes about how to pronounce mantras.

Yujurveda- It describes how to perform Yagya.

Arthaveda- It describes art of living..

Vedas are further divided in various branches and Vastu Shastra is one of them. It comes from Sthapatya Veda- where stapthya means to establish and veda means knowledge therefore.

“ Vastu can be defined as knowledge of establishment”

Evolution

Evolution

THE CASTE SYSTEMThere are lots of ancient texts related to different fields right from language, grammar, drama, play, poetry,

art and various branches of science, physics, chemistry, medical, engineering, vaastu, geology etc.

Cosmic: Related with creation of universe, heavenly bodies, sun, moon, stars, constellation etc. It is also

termed as astronomy.

Astrology - Effect of cosmic bodies on human

Geology - It deals with character of soil.

Geography - It deals with basic physical structures of earth

like hills, rivers.

Sociology - It deals with social aspects of society.

Brahmins- Intellectual

Administrator-Kshtriyas

Businessman- Vaishyas

Shudras-Servants

VARIOUS FACTORS INVOLVED IN EVOLUTION OF VEDIC CIVILIZATION Physiographic character

Temperature was moderate, around Northern and southern part of Vindhyas.

There was no earthquake and land was plain.

Wild life was abundant in foothills.

Cultivation was easy and no need for irrigation.

Supply of snow-fed water.

Land between Hindukush, Suleman Hills, the Himalayas and the seas to the south

were secured.

The Gangetic plains were probably a marshy land.

Power and Politics

No need to defence against other communities or invasion.

Hence, communities were small, little need for political or economic leadership.

Evolution

Socio- Cultural Milieu

• Little or no social stratification.

• There was no need for any division of labour for production, defence administration and storages.

• Agriculture gave surplus and spare time to spend. So Art, Philosophy, Science, Ethics and religion

developed.

• Religious life was influenced by saints and sages.

• Philosophic thinking nurtured.

• Science developed : Astronomy, integers and zero was invented.

Economic

• The economy was principally agriculture: security of life did not need to develop storage of food

grains.

• No specific economic leadership.

Technology

• No industries, no need of defence, hence no major construction

• Little need of heavy transport.

• No need of utilities and services as the settlement were closer to water bodies

Culture

POWER AND ADMINISTRATION ASPECTS People around his area were more aggressive and had repeated invasions Political leadership was the focal point. Insecurity in life increased the importance of religion- belief and looking towards the divine for security.

SOCIAL ASPECTS The invasion led to social stratification – conqueror and the defeated. The defeated as captives and slaves were put into agricultural works

and clustered around religious centers. The conqueror were higher castes and not into agriculture One leader – political cum storage in charge – at some central

location – surrounded by higher caste people engaged in defense in administration

Another leader – Religious leader – another central location-surrounded by priests and people of higher castes.

Culture

ECONOMIC ASPECTS Economy was principally agricultural Agriculture is space extensive Granary and storage was important – This space needed protection

hence was located near the defense leader’s area at the centre.

TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECTS Hardly any industrial activity Impact of straight and parallel lines were derived by the terracing

of agricultural land and the dams which was the origin of the ziggurats.

Transportation was on foot . Inter settlement transportation was on water.

Level of water In the rivers change and hence special protection wall were needed.

The river and the spine of transportation divided the settlement into two parts..

Culture

• Layout of the principal

streets.

• Division in to hypothetical

rings of Brahma, Daivika,

Manushya & Paisacha.

• Division in wards by means

of branches roads, erection

of outer wall, gates and the

moat.

• Erection of various edifices

according to site-planning

and folk planning principles.

VARIOUS STAGES OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ANCIENT VEDIC VILLAGES• Making the outlines of the Vastu-Purushmandala and Division in to plots (vastu-

purushmandala )

Evolution

Town planning in Ancient India is evident from various ancient texts and puranas. Various vastu shastra text like artha sastra of kautilya and Sukra Nitisara. These texts illuminate the development of civic art. According to these texts ancient tows are categorized on the basis of size, shape and purpose.

ACCORDING TO SIZE

• Rajdhani - The capital of the king.

• Sakhanagra – All other categories of town besides Pura. Karvata - Smaller Town Nigma - Smaller then Karvata Grama - Smaller than Nigma

• Special Town Pattana – The Second residence of Town. Putabhedana _ It is a similar to Pattana, in addition to being a commercial center

Evolution

ANCIENT TOWN CLASSIFICATION:ACCORDING TO SHAPE AND PURPOSE

According to Shape and Purpose Ancient towns are divided into eight types.

Dandaka

Nandyavarta

Sarvatobhadra

Swastika

Prastara

Padmaka

Karmukha

Chaturmukha

Evolution

1. DANDAKA- Literally means a phalanx or

a staff.

• It is usually a rectangular or square.

• Its streets are straight and cross each other

at right angles.

• No. of streets vary from one to five running

parallel to each other.

• Streets at extrems have single row of

houses and streets at center are lined with

double row of houses.

• Town offices and panchyats are located in

the eastern portion of the town.

• This type of town is considered auspicious

for Brahmins. It may contain

12,24,50,108,or 300 Brahmin families.

1. Vishnu temple

2. Shiva temple

3. Monasteries and gardens

4. Town offices

4

2

3

3

1

NANDYAVARTA

• It may be square or Oblong.• It is divided in 4 main vitthis.• The town has four large streets along the sides. This type of layout is like a mystic figure Nandyavarta.• There can be three. Five or seven sets of such streets, with a row of houses on each side.• The lanes which are traverse between the main roads should have no houses.• Vithis is a streets which is lined with houses.• Marga is a streets which is devoid of any houses.• Small roads are at interval of six or seven rajjus ( 1 Rajju = 10 dandas = 60 feet).• Usually streets are 3,4 or 5 dandas wide.

1. Temple2. Tank3. Palace4. Court5. Brahmins Quarters6. School7. Monastery8. Hospital9. Theater10. Residence for Artisans11. Quarters for other castes12. Quarters for fisherman's

NANDYAVARTA

Temple city of Madurai

3. SARVATOBHADRA- Literally means bliss full for all.• It is oblong or square and divided into interlineal chambers.• In center temple dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva is

located.• No. of car streets varies form one to five with a boulevard

going around the village.• Pavillions, Rest houses, colleges halls at several

corners.• Town is secured by a wall and a ditch with four

large gates on the sides and many gates at corners.

• Hamlets for vaisyas and shudras should be allotted towards the south.

• Drapers and weavers have their quarters in between west and the south west.

• Blacksmits are to be quartered between varuna and vayu and further opposite to them are fishermen and the butchers.

• Physicians are to assigned between Vayu and Soma.

• By the side of eastern wall temple of chamunda is erected.

• Huts of chandalas and outcastes in the further outer proximity.

• Tanks and reservoirs should be constructed either in south or in the intermediate quaters.

City of Thanjavor in Tamil Nadu Bhrideshwar temple complex

SARVATOBHADRA

4. SWASTIKA – Based on mystic figure swastika.

• There are two streets passing through center.

• Traversing streets are planted in clock wise direction.

• Ramparts defend the village and a ditch is to enclose these rampart.

• There are eight gates .• Kings palace should be erected in the

four cardinal direction, in the cell of aryama or others.

• Temple at the center.• The bhuddhist temple should be

established on the plot of vayu and Jains temple in south-west in the cell of nitri.

• Temple of durga and ganesh in four directions.

• The outer most road is lined with single row of houses while other streets have double row of houses.

1

5. PRASTARA – Literally it means a

village resembling a couch

• This town is either square or oblong.

• Space is divided into 4, 9, or 16 wards by

a network of streets.

• These streets vary from 6,7, 8, 9, or 11

dandas.

• In wards roads are planted in chess board

system. But they are not divide in equal

no of plots.

• division was according to degree of

rank or wealth of the person.

• The village is enclosed walls and ditches

with four principal gates on south and

subsidiary ones in the corners.

PRASTARA

6. PADMAKA :- Mayamata says

there are five variety of this Village.

• Its Length and Breadth are made

equal while the enclosing walls are

circular or it can be quadrangular,

hexagonal, or octagonal.

• The divide edifice or council house

should be at the center.

• Round about this plot should be

planted streets no. four to eight and

they are line with houses.

• There should be gates in four

cardinal directions.

PADMAKA

7. KARMUKHA – Literally means a Bow.

• Its shape is semi circular or semi

elliptical, like a bow.

• This type of plan is used at sea shore.

• Towns like Pattana, Kheta, or Khavarta

are planned in this manner.

• Pattana has preponderance of viasyas.

• Kheta is generally inhabited by Traders

and Laborers.

• It has two car streets and one principal streets.

• If bow faces west then one car streets runs from south to east and other from north

to east and principal street runs from west to east and other runs from north to south.

• No. of traverse streets can be from one to five

• Houses range on both side of them.

• It may have desirable no. of gates and circumvallation is optional.

KARMUKHA

Poomphar or Kaveripattinam was ancient trading center

8. CAHTURMUKHA

• It is square or oblong in shape lying east- west.

• There are four car streets on four sides.

• Two large streets crossing at right angles in the

center dividing the whole site into four blocks or

wards.

• Four principal gates are raised placed on the

terminus of two highways and no. of supplementary

gates at corner.

• Each ward is planted with four smaller roads

crossed by same no. of them.

• The south eastern ward is alloted for Brahmins.

• South- western for ruling class.

• North- Eastern and North- western to traders.

• Sudras or artisians and labour class are relegated to

the extreme borders.

Put in any more case studies u might encounter..

TOWN PLANNING ASPECTS The science of building was quite advanced

during the Vedic period. The Vedic civilization leaving its primitive stage

far behind had registered remarkable progress in the field of building edifices and planning villages and towns.

The symbolism which abound the architecture and town planning of vedic town was the outcome of this quest of gyan

The scope of Ancient Indian town planning included all relevant requirement of a healthy civic life. This science includes descriptions of temples, moats, city, forts etc.

THAN

K YOU

FOR LISTEN

ING

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Questions?

INSTRUCTIONS… Search for more case studies as discussed.. Try to relate the town planning aspects and

the cultural traits.. There are many more inclusions like: http://www.vediccityplanning.com/fundament

al-principles-of-vedic-urban-design-and-country-planning/

https://www.google.co.in/search?q=Vedic+town+planning&sa=X&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=935&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ved=0ahUKEwjLzbii5sTKAhXFCI4KHSknAWgQsAQILQ

http://www.gloriousindia.com/history/vedic_civilization.html

EvolutionUSE THESE FOR INDICATING YOUR STRUCTURE FOR PRESENTATION

DANDAKA Streets are straight and intersect each

other at right angles. Village has four gates at four sides. Village is rectangular/square. Width of street varies from 1-5 danda. 2 tranverse streets at the extremities

have single row of houses. The village offices located in the east. The female deity located outside the

village and the male deities in the northern part.

PADMAKA This type of plan was practiced for building

of the towns with fortress all round. The pattern of the plan resembles the petals

of lotus radiating outwards from the center. The city used to be practically an island

surrounded by water, having no scope for expansion.

SWASTIKA Swastika type of plan contemplates some

diagonal streets dividing the site into certain rectangular plots.

The site need not e marked out into a square or rectangle and it may be of any shape.

A rampart wall surrounds the town, with a moat at its foot filled with water.

Two main streets cross each other at the center, running south to north and west to east.

PRASTARA The characteristic feature of this plan is that

the site may be either square or rectangular but not triangular or circular.

The sites are set apart for the poor, the middle class, the rich and the very rich, the site of the sites increasing according to the capacity of each to purchase or build upon.

The main roads are much wider compared to those of other patterns.

The town may or may not be surrounded by a fort.

CHATURMUKHA Chaturmurmukha type of plan is applicable

to all towns starting from the largest own to the smallest village.

The site may be either square or rectangular having four faces.

The town is laid out east to west lengthwise, with four main streets.

The temple of the presiding deity will be always at the center.

KARMUKA This plan is suitable for the place where the

site of the town is in the form of bow or semi-circular or parabolic and mostly applied for towns located on the seashore or riverbanks.

The main streets of the town run from north to south or east to west and the cross streets run at right-angles to them, dividing the whole area into blocks.

The presiding deity, commonly a female deity, is installed in the temple build in any convenient place.