The Ancient and Medieval Architecture of India: A Study of Indo-Aryan Civilisation c7.37

c7.37

The simplest one (fig. 1), called *Dandâka*, after the staff carried by *sannyâsins*, was specially intended for a hermitage (*asrâm*) or other religious community. It consisted of from one to five long parallel streets running east and west, with three shorter ones intersecting them in the middle and at the two ends. There were two bathing-tanks near the N.E. and S.W. angles of the village, and various shrines appropriate for the particular sect to which the villagers belonged—the principal one being placed at the west end of the Râjapatha, with its entrance facing the rising sun. Minor deities had their temples on the outskirts of the village, outside or inside the wall or fence, which had four large gates facing the two main streets, and smaller ones at the angle of the village. It contained from twelve to over three hundred houses. In the given plan each of the eight inside blocks had two rows of houses ; the narrower outside blocks only one.