Town Planning in Ancient India c12.s2.14

c12.s2.14

and projects out (to a small distance from the cross-street which intersects it); the southern street commencing from the east (i.e., the eastern street at the south-east corner) runs on in a westerly direction and opens out to the west. The western street beginning from the south (i.e., the southern street) runs on in a northerly direction and shoots out to the north. The northern street, running from east to west, juts forth in the east, (beyond the eastern street, at the north-east corner).¹ This plan in the lay-out of streets is like the mystic figure Nandyāvarta in the opinion of the experts. All other streets running from south to north and from east to west should follow this plan. There may be three, five, or seven such sets of streets, with a row of houses on each side. The lanes (mārgāh) may be planted in number varying from one to five. The lanes that lie transverse between the main roads should have no houses (opening on them).² A vīthī or street is that which is lined with houses, while a mārga or road is that which is devoid of (or irregularly lined with) houses. The streets of all (the villages ?) fall on the great boulevard (mahāmārga ?). The small roads should be planted at the intervals of six or seven ‘rajjus’ (1 rajju = 10 daṇḍas = 60 feet). The streets should be 3, 4, or 5 daṇḍas wide, whereas in the village divided into the mystic