The Antiquities of Orissa v1.c8.8

v1.c8.8

**[28] Ground plans of houses :** In the case of buildings other than temples, the ground plan no doubt varied according to circumstances, and works on architecture describe a great number of forms. The *Rāja-mārtaṇḍa*, an astrological work ascribed to Rājā Bhoja of Dhār, enumerates sixteen different kinds as the most noteworthy. These are : (i) oblong,—*Āyata*; (ii) square,—*caturasra*; (iii) circular,—*vṛtta*; (iv) oblong, with a rectangular court-yard in the middle, very like the Roman compluvium,—*bhadrāsana*; (v) discus-shaped, i.e. circular with lunette projections, or wings, on the four sides,—*cakra*; (vi) linear or long and narrow with two unequal wings,—*viṣamabāhu*; (vii) triangular,—*trikoṇa*; (viii) cart-shaped, or quadrangular with a long triangular projection on one side,—*śakatākṛta*; (ix) staff-like or long and narrow like a barrack,—*daṇḍa*; (x) quadrangular, with the opposite sides hollow-arched, or concave, like the mouth of the musical instrument called *paṇava*,—*paṇavasamsthāna*; (xi) like the musical instrument called *muraja*, (I know not what this is); (xii) wide-fronted,—*vṛhanmukham*; (xiii) heart-shaped like a palm-leaf fan,—*vyajana*; (xiv) circular with five projections like a tortoise with its four projecting feet, and head; (xv) arched like a bow,—*dhanuḥ*; (xvi) horse-shoe shaped like the winnowing fan,—*śūrpa*.⁵ Of these the oblong with a rectangular court-yard in the middle was held in the highest estimation, and still continues the favourite, almost every Hindu dwelling house of any pretension in Bengal being built in that plan, whence *bhadrāsana* has become the ordinary name of a dwelling house in the present day; and in the north-west it is very common. For comfort, convenience, light, and ventilation, it is perhaps the best that could be designed in a warm climate and it is worthy of note that European architects have of late adopted it in designing several public buildings in Bengal. In the *Mṛcchakaṭika*, which dates from the first century before Christ, there is an account of a house of this description, which had successively eight court-yards;⁶ and the grandeur of a house is generally reckoned in almost every part of India in accordance with the number of court-yards it comprises. The merits of these several kinds of houses are thus described in the *Rāja-mārtaṇḍa*: "The oblong insures success everywhere; the square brings in money; the circular promotes health and prosperity; the rectangular with a courtyard fulfils all desires; the lunetted-wheel causes poverty, and the unequal-winged bereavement; the triangular makes the owner a king, and the cart-shaped leads to loss of wealth. Cattle die away if the plan be staff-like, and vision is lost by the *paṇava* shape. The *muraja* shape causes the death of the owner's wife; the wide front loss of wealth; and the fan shape, loss of situation. The tortoise leads to theft, so does the bow shape; while the horse-shoe form causes loss of wealth."⁷ Regarding the nature of the ground on which the house is to be built, it is said: "men prosper, if the ground slope to the east; wealth is acquired, if the southern side be elevated, but it is lost if the west side slope down, and there is certain destruction if the north side be high."⁸ As domestic architecture, however, does not fall within the scope of this work, it is not necessary to enquire into the subject further.