Chandragupta Maurya and His Times c11.28

c11.28

Building Regulations (*Vāstukam*). Town planning was, indeed, regulated by the needs of sanitation. Every house was to be provided with a privy (*avas-kara*), drain (*bhrama*), and a well (*udapāna*), only at the prescribed place (*grihochitam*), except in the case of temporary pits to serve the place of confinement (*sūtikā-kūpa*) or needs of festivities, but these were to filled up as soon as the need was over. There were also wholesome regulations for location of (1) *Chakri-Sthāna*, sheds for goats and draught animals, (2) *Chatushpada-Sthāna* (to accommodate big animals like elephants), (3) *Agnishṭha* (oven), (4) *Udañjara-Sthānam*, a place for keeping big jars for water, (5) *Rochanī* (cornmill) and (6) *Kuṭṭanī* (mortar) [III. 8]. The object kept in view was to reduce to the minimum the inconvenience to neighbours. In case of two houses of which the above parts touched, it was obligatory to allow some space between them.