Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v1.c53.20

v1.c53.20

House-architecture really has four distinct branches according to ancient Indian tradition. Houses principally may be classified firstly into residential houses for middle class people—vide the folk-planning in which houses in ancient India in a village or town were planned according to the castes and professions; secondly into those gorgeous mansions suited to the nobles and princes—the palaces, the Harmyas and the Rāja-prāsādas; thirdly into what are called abodes of gods, the temples, the Prāsādas and Vimānas and fourthly into the public buildings which are planned and constructed for the common use, like the Viśrāmaśālās, the libraries, the theatres, the picture gallaries etc , The common public pools, ponds, tanks, Vāpīs and wells, etc., will also fall in this last category.