Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c9.36

c9.36

The Pāli literature, as shown above, is rich in architectural descriptions of palaces, cities and city-gates. As shown by Dr. Coomaraswamy a palace was known as *Pāsāda*, *Nivāsa*, *Rāja-Bhavana*, *Rāja-Geha*, *Rājanivesana*, *Vāsaghara*, *Antepura* and *Vimāna*. The ideal for it was the palace of the Gods (*Divya Vimāna*). The king's palace faced on to the central city-square, as in the case of the Ummagga Palace. A separate palace was provided for the Crown-Prince (*Yuvarājathṭhe*); it was spoken of as *Upaṭhāna* and sited in a portion of the king's palace, an arrangement which we find also in the case of Harsha's palace as *Yuvarāja*. The royal residence was *Antepura* in which there were quarters for the queens, princesses and other ladies, collectively called *Antepurikā*. It was properly guarded (*Arakkhatham*).