The Ancient and Medieval Architecture of India: A Study of Indo-Aryan Civilisation c8.51

c8.51

Brick and stone walls in an ancient Indian village or town were constructed either on the principle of the “embattled fret” (fig. 11), which follows closely the outline of the timber railing, or in a wavy line like the edge of a lotus leaf, or “like the wreath of waves rising in the milky ocean.”¹ The latter type can be seen in the village plan called Padmâka, described in the Mânasâra (fig. 4). It was probably built of mud or brick, but might have been simply a bambu fence bent round a line of upright posts.