Public Administration in Ancient India c20.32

c20.32

Sanghārāmas were innumerable and found in every part of India during the Buddhist period. Hiuen Tsiang described them in these words: “The Sanghārāmas are constructed with extraordinary skill. A three-storeyed tower is erected at each of the four angles. The beams and the projecting heads are carved with great skill in different shapes. The doors, windows, and the low walls are painted profusely; the monks' cells are ornamental on the inside and plain on the outside. In the very middle of the building is the hall, high and wide. There are various storeyed chambers and turrets of different height and shape, without any fixed rule. The doors open towards the east; the royal throne also faces the east.” ²