Town Planning in Ancient India c7.42

c7.42

The Sthapati had then to go through another important function. He had to ascertain the cardinal points of the heaven by means of a gnomon. This is a procedure treated at length by writers on Hindu architecture and hence its utility and importance cannot be ignored. It was absolutely necessary that all the quarters should be distinctly and precisely ascertained and marked on the spot on which towns and their wards and buildings were to be erected, for the purpose of giving them an auspicious aspect and of preventing their being opposite to any of the intermediate points which were pronounced inauspicious. But it was not an invariable rule that the towns, at least, and, in some cases, their muhallas, should be given such an orientation, as the nature of the terrain often rendered it impossible.