Manasara Series (I. A Dictionary of Hindu Architecture; II. Indian Architecture according to Manasara-Shilpashastra; III. Manasara on Architecture and Sculpture: Sanskrit Text; IV. Architecture of Manasara: Translation; V. Architecture of Manasara: Illustrations; VI. Hindu Architecture in India and Abroad; VII. An Encyclopaedia of Hindu Architecture) v1.c6.s32.847

v1.c6.s32.847

But the expression 'versed in all śāstras' need not be taken in too literal a sense. What architects are expected to know can be inferred from the details given occasionally in many places in the Mānasāra and other works. The chapters on the selection of site and the minute examination of soil (see Bhū-parīkshā) will indicate an intimate knowledge of practical geology which is essentially necessary for achitectural purposes. The chapters on gnoman (see Śaṅku) and ground plan (see Pada-vinyāsa) demand proficiency in mathematics (see also Jāla). The frequent references to the minute examination of trees and wood show a fair amount of knowledge in timber work (?Botany). The examination of stones and bricks for building purposes, the preparation of different colours and mixtures of different materials for painting, and the testing of jewels, etc., for decorative purposes, point to an acquaintance with chemistry and other allied sciences. The chapter on the joining of wood (see Sandhikarman) will indicate a knowledge of everything architectural, however insignificant it may appear to a layman. The chapter on ornaments (see Bhūshaṇa) and mouldings (cf. Stambha) will show a high sense of æsthetics. A knowledge of the climate and weather of the locality where a house is to be built is essential to their work. The astrological and astronomical calculation is also frequently referred to.