Town Planning in Ancient India c9.67

c9.67

² It is difficult to say with certainty that there was any elaborate and systematic arrangement of lighting the towns of ancient India. We generally come across ritualistic injunctions upon the householder to light lamps at the cross-roads. This cannot be interpreted as a part of any lighting scheme of towns inasmuch even village roads are included within the operation of the rule and even to-day lamps are lighted, on some special occasions, at the crossings of village roads. On festive occasions only light-posts (dīpavṛksha) were erected at regular intervals throughout the city. The Brahma Purāṇa and the Agni Purāṇa however lay down that lights should be posted in rows in the streets (rathyā) after sun-set. (दीपमालाश्च कर्तव्याः......रथ्यापथाग्रतः-यु... ). I am not quite certain whether this rule was dictated by reasons of civics or of ceremonials and if it was followed in pratice at all.