Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v1.c19: Chapter XXVI.
Vāstu-śāstra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v1.c19
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Chapter XXVI.
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Rājaniveśa (The Planning of a Royal Palace)
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After the town is planned in all its broad outlines—fortification, roads, streets, gates etc together with the assignment of the places of both the classes of deities, the internal and the external ones, the first priority must be given to the construction of the palace of the king in the town. Herein are given the details of the site plan and the categories of the Palace as well as its fortification all round. With these preliminary remarks the text describes in details the different chambers of the palace suited to the different members of the family of the king and paraphernalia of his establishment, a detailed notice of which has been taken in this study—vide Pt. IV.
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CHAPTER XXVII.
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Rājagṛha (The Various types of Palaces)
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In the two chapters (XV and XXX) devoted to the Palace Architecture, the subject matter differs, while in the former the palace described is the type which is fit to be the abode of a ruling monarch with all his establishments and sets up, domestic, recreational and administrative. It is prescribed to be planned on the model of Śālā architecture—no storeys, only court-yards and rooms, in the latter as many as fiteen type of palaces have been described and, therefore, both differ fundamentally in the architectural details and the use thereof. To the capitals, the former is the most suited type. The latter variety with its characteristics of mansion-like super-structures is fit only to be occupied occasionally and perhaps built not in the capital but scattered here and there on the places forming the secondary residences.
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The most characteristic features of the architecture of these palaces is their excessive use of the Pillars. These palaces give an impression of pillared-hall structures, though the employment of the storeys have made them ostentatious buildings. The fifteen varieties of the Rājagṛha with the number of their pillars and storeys together with other characteristics are tabulated in part IV.