Town Planning in Ancient India c7.53

c7.53

The foregoing statements of facts may be relied upon in making the following generalisations. The sociological side of the survey carried on by the Indo-Aryan master-builder consisted in preparing maps to indicate such matters as the degree of density of population in the different parts of the town, allocation of sites for different castes and professions, distribution of residential, business, and manufacturing areas with necessary subdivisions, distribution of parks, public and other open spaces and the extent of each. If he had to improve, reconstruct, or extend an old existing town as in the case of Dvārakā, he had to take a historical survey of the shrines, buildings, or reservoirs of historical importance and traditional sanctity. And he had to project how he could best carry out his duties without violently dislocating the existing order. Such dislocation means unnecessary and additional financial burden or causes injustice and inconvenience to the original settlers. The history of the foundation of Madurā corroborates this.¹