Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c15.s2.t4.1

c15.s2.t4.1

As regards the citadel area of Vijayapurī, remains of its ditch, city-gates and the grand fortification wall (prākāra) were found, which belonged to the flourishing period of the Ikshvāku kings, formed important components of the toun-planning of that age. The citadel wall which is 16' high in some places could be traced in two phases; the earlier one being a mud rampart 80' wide at the base (vapra) resting on the earth. The second phase was represented by a burnt-brick wall, 9 to 14 feet thick, generally built either directly on the existing rampart or on a secondary filling over it, but on naturally high grounds directly on the bare rock-surface. The lofty fortification wall was surrounded on all sides, excepting for the hilly portion on the south side, by a ditch (parikhā, khāta), 12' in depth and varying from 74 to 132 feet in width.