Town Planning in Ancient India c17.s4.1

c17.s4.1

“ Madurā, the capital of the Pāṇḍyas was a fortified city. There were four gates to the fort, surmounted by high towers, and outside the massive walls which were built of rough-hewn stone, was a deep moat, and surrounding the moat was a thick jungle of thorny trees. The roads leading to the gates were wide enough to permit several elephants pass abreast and on the walls on both sides of the entrance, there were all kinds of weapons and missiles concealed, ready to be discharged on an enemy. Yavana soldiers with drawn swords guarded the gates. Over the gates and walls waved many a standard which had been taken in battle. The principal streets in the city were royal street, the market street, the courtezans' street, and the streets where dwelt the goldsmiths, corn-dealers, cloth merchants, jewellers, etc. Outside the fort of Madurā resided those men who led a life of religious devotion and poorer classes such as the Panar and other lower castes."[1] This account I supplement from the materials furnished by Venkatarama Ayyar. The original site of Madurā was a forest of lordly kadamba trees whence another name of Madurā is Kadamba-vana. In this forest were a beautiful tank and a temple of God Śiva on its embankment. The then ruling king of the Pāṇḍya dynasty attracted by the site, caused a careful survey of it and finally evolved a city-plan starting with the temple as centre. Round this temple the king constructed in order, a Padma-maṇḍapam where the Vedas would be chanted, an Artha-maṇḍapam where festivals might be held, and a Nṛtya-maṇḍapam or kitchen for the temple, and other small temples around. Thereafter were laid out the main streets including the chief processional streets, and other small streets were constructed intersecting the former. And in the open squares thus formed public meeting places and other open places were also planned and constructed. He also erected several public platforms and planted fruit trees thereon. He did not disturb the existing streams and ponds, but added to their number. Such were the tanks, orchards, gardens, and flower gardens; and the walls and moats encircled the town.