Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c76.102

v2.c76.102

Chapter 71 of the Nāradasilpa is devoted to the decoration of painting चित्रालंकृतिरचनाविधिकथन. Pictures are not only for the joy of the gods and the presiding deities of the buildings, the Vāstunāthas, but are also for beauty according to Uśīnara. Nārada gives a new kind of classification of pictures, not found in other works, and it is from the point of view of the places where the pictures are drawn. Thus he says that pictures are of three kinds—of the floor, of the wall, and of the top, i. e. ceiling ( भौम, कुड्यक and ऊर्ध्वक ). These again are classified from another stand point into two kinds, permanent and temporary (शाश्वतक and तात्कालिक ). The latter is the Bhauma i.e., the picture of the floor; Kolam, the Dhūli Citra and Rasa Citra of Someśvara belong to this class. Nārada says that this variety is drawn in front of the house, on the door-step, on the pials and everywhere in the house on the floor. Birds, snakes, elephants, horses, etc. can thus be drawn. These themes are still drawn in our houses.