History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c31.15

v1.c31.15

Each constituent of the plan and the elevation had a certain set measure and proportion to all other parts of the temple structure, fixed by canon or traditional practice. The earliest surviving Śilpaśāstra which provides such prescriptions is the Bṛhat Saṃhitā of Varāhamihira of the early 6th century AD. According to this text the height of a temple should be double its width and the portion upto the kaṭi (waist) should be 1/3 of the total height. The internal width of the sanctum should be 1/2 of its external width. The width of the doorway should be a quarter of that of the sanctum while its height should be twice its own width.