Town Planning in Ancient India c8.113

c8.113

Mr. Havell, in his "History of the Aryan Rule in India", is responsible for the following curious and fantastic interpretation of the above appellation of the city-gates :—" The Upanishads shaped this primitive nature-symbolism into definite philosophic concepts and Vishnu-Sūryya the All-pervading, then took the place of Indra at the zenith ; Siva appropriated the attributes of Yama and his position in the western sky while the concept of the cosmic slumber under the name of Vishnu-Nārāyaṇa took the place of the war-god at the nadir. It was upon this ancient symbolic rite of the Indo-Aryan village—the rite of the cosmic cross or the wheel of life—that Buddha based his doctrine of the Aryan Eight-fold Path—the new way of life which would release mankind from suffering; for, as we have seen, there were eight gates in the village walls, one in the middle of each side, and one smaller one at each corner.” It is needless to remark here that the gates were fitted with unwieldy and impenetrable door-panels.