Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c9.31

c9.31

These ten motifs are named in this Jātaka as of divine character (Divi-bhattiyo). There was constructed round the city a watery moat (Udaka-parikhā), a city-wall 18 cubits high (Aṭṭhārasa-hattho pākāro)—the traditional height of a fort-wall to this day—, which was pierced by city-gates and towers (Gopurāṭṭālako). In its centre were built the royal palace with a contingent of other buildings (Rāja-nivesanādini), other residential buildings (Nivesanādini), elephant stables (Haththi sālādayo) and many ponds (Pukkharāṇiyo). After its completion the city was called, Mahā-Ummaggo nagaram, since the site selected for it was out of the way of the frequented path (Janaummaggo). This was built by 300 carpenters (Tini-vaḍḍhakisatāni) with 300 boats to transport the material and took four months to complete. It was an excellent palace (Pāsā-davara) built on the banks of the Gaṅgā (Gaṅgā-tiram).