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) v6.c41.s24.15

v6.c41.s24.15

The simplest architectural expression of the Japanese palaces is non-existent in the ordinary dwelling-house. The entrance door is the only feature which distinguishes one house from another, otherwise the street in the great cities presents a dull appearance with monotonous houses. The houses have rarely an upper storey and 'the design consists of a square or rectangular block covered with a tiled roof, the interior being subdivided into rooms by sliding screens about 6 feet high. In the better houses there may sometimes be internal courts with buildings on all sides or all round.' This is a plan commonly followed in India, and has been in vogue since the very early period and minutely elaborated in the *Mānasāra* and other *Śilpa-śāstras*.