STRUCTURE OF THE PRESENTATION

 Timeline for Vedic Civilizations’ evolution.

 Culture of Ancient India
 Ancient system of Town Planning
 Influencing Factors
 Religion.
 Languages
 Social Life
 Economy
 Technology And Science
 Town Planning
 Occupation And Trade
 Art And Craft
 Vedic principles for Planning Cities
 Maps of Ancient Cities
ANCIENT SYSTEM OF TOWN PLANNING
 Town planning is not
new idea or science in
India.
 It is as old as its rich
culture and tradition.
 Evolution

EVOLUTION OF VEDIC CIVILLIZATION

VEDIC CIVILIZATION
INDUS VALLEY

 Vedic period marks the study period for this

presentation (basis of study).
 Evolution
VEDIC CIVILIZATION (10000 – 3000B.C.)

India iscountry which passes huge ancient knowledge in the form of Vedas. “Vedas”
means knowledge. They describes the study of basic meaning, type and form of our
ancient knowledge and wisdom.
There are four Vedas in ancient wisdom.

 Rig-Veda- Termed as stuti of gods.

 Samavda- Describes about how to pronounce mantras.

 Yujurveda- It describes how to perform Yagya.

 Arthaveda- It describes art of living..

Vedas are further divided in various branches and Vastu Shastra is one of them. It
comes from Sthapatya Veda- where stapthya means to establish and veda means
knowledge therefore.

 “ Vastu can be defined as knowledge of establishment”

 Evolution

THE CASTE SYSTEM

There are lots of ancient texts related to different fields right from language, grammar, drama, play,
poetry, art and various branches of science, physics, chemistry, medical, engineering, vaastu,
geology etc.
Cosmic: Related with creation of universe, heavenly bodies, sun, moon, stars, constellation etc. It is
also termed as astronomy.
Astrology - Effect of cosmic bodies on human
Geology - It deals with character of soil.
Geography - It deals with basic physical structures of earth
like hills, rivers.
Sociology - It deals with social aspects of society.
Brahmins- Intellectual
Administrator-Kshtriyas
Businessman- Vaishyas
Shudras-Servants
 Evolution
VARIOUS FACTORS INVOLVED IN
EVOLUTION OF VEDIC CIVILIZATION
 Physiographic character
 Temperature was moderate, around Northern and southern part of Vindhyas.
 There was no earthquake and land was plain.
 Wild life was abundant in foothills.
 Cultivation was easy and no need for irrigation.
 Supply of snow-fed water.
 Land between Hindukush, Suleman Hills, the Himalayas and the seas to the south were
secured.
 The Gangetic plains were probably a marshy land.
 Power and Politics
 No need to defence against other communities or invasion.
 Hence, communities were small, little need for political or economic leadership.
Socio- Cultural Milieu Culture
• Little or no social stratification.
• There was no need for any division of labour for production, defence administration and storages.
• Agriculture gave surplus and spare time to spend. So Art, Philosophy, Science, Ethics and religion
developed.
• Religious life was influenced by saints and sages.
• Philosophic thinking nurtured.
• Science developed : Astronomy, integers and zero was invented.
Economic
• The economy was principally agriculture: security of life did not need to develop storage of food
grains.
• No specific economic leadership.
Technology
• No industries, no need of defence, hence no major construction
• Little need of heavy transport.
• No need of utilities and services as the settlement were closer to water bodies
 Culture

POWER AND ADMINISTRATION ASPECTS

 People around his area were more aggressive
 and had repeated invasions
 Political leadership was the focal point.
 Insecurity in life increased the importance
 of religion- belief and looking towards the divine for security.

SOCIAL ASPECTS
 The invasion led to social stratification – conqueror and the defeated.
 The defeated as captives and slaves were put into agricultural works
and clustered around religious centers.
 The conqueror were higher castes and not into agriculture
 One leader – political cum storage in charge – at some central location –
surrounded by higher caste people engaged in defense in administration
 Another leader – Religious leader – another central location-surrounded
by priests and people of higher castes.
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
 Economy was principally agricultural
 Agriculture is space extensive
 Granary and storage was important – This space needed protection
hence was located near the defense leader’s area at the centre.

TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECTS
 Hardly any industrial activity
 Impact of straight and parallel lines were derived by the terracing of
agricultural land and the dams which was the origin of the ziggurats.
 Transportation was on foot . Inter settlement transportation was on water.
 Level of water In the rivers change and hence special protection wall
were needed.
 The river and the spine of transportation divided the settlement into two
parts..
Culture
VARIOUS STAGES OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF Evolution
ANCIENT VEDIC VILLAGES
• Making the outlines of the Vastu-Purushmandala and Division in to plots (vastu-
purushmandala ) • Layout of the principal
streets.

• Division in to hypothetical
rings of Brahma, Daivika,
Manushya & Paisacha.

• Division in wards by means

of branches roads, erection
of outer wall, gates and the
moat.

• Erection of various edifices

according to site-planning
and folk planning principles.
Town planning in Ancient India is evident from various ancient texts Evolution
and puranas. Various vastu shastra text like artha sastra of kautilya
and Sukra Nitisara. These texts illuminate the development of civic
art. According to these texts ancient tows are categorized on the basis
of size, shape and purpose.

ACCORDING TO SIZE

• Rajdhani - The capital of the king.

• Sakhanagra – All other categories of town besides Pura.

Karvata - Smaller Town
Nigma - Smaller then Karvata
Grama - Smaller than Nigma

• Special Town
Pattana – The Second residence of Town.
Putabhedana _ It is a similar to Pattana, in addition to being a
commercial center
 Evolution
ANCIENT TOWN CLASSIFICATION:
ACCORDING TO SHAPE AND PURPOSE

 According to Shape and Purpose Ancient towns are divided into eight types.

 Dandaka
 Nandyavarta
 Sarvatobhadra
 Swastika
 Prastara
 Padmaka
 Karmukha
 Chaturmukha
 1. DANDAKA- Literally means a phalanx or
a staff.
• It is usually a rectangular or square.

3
• Its streets are straight and cross each other
1 at right angles.
3
• No. of streets vary from one to five running
parallel to each other.
2
• Streets at extrems have single row of
houses and streets at center are lined with

4
double row of houses.
• Town offices and panchyats are located in
the eastern portion of the town.
1. Vishnu temple
2. Shiva temple • This type of town is considered auspicious
3. Monasteries and gardens for Brahmins. It may contain
4. Town offices
12,24,50,108,or 300 Brahmin families.
 NANDYAVARTA
• It may be square or Oblong.
• It is divided in 4 main vitthis.
• The town has four large streets along the sides.
This type of layout is like a mystic figure
Nandyavarta.
• There can be three. Five or seven sets of such
1. Temple streets, with a row of houses on each side.
2. Tank
3. Palace • The lanes which are traverse between the main
4. Court
5. Brahmins Quarters roads should have no houses.
6. School
7. Monastery • Vithis is a streets which is lined with houses.
8. Hospital
9. Theater • Marga is a streets which is devoid of any
10. Residence for Artisans
11. Quarters for other castes houses.
12. Quarters for fisherman's
• Small roads are at interval of six or seven rajjus (
1 Rajju = 10 dandas = 60 feet).
• Usually streets are 3,4 or 5 dandas wide.
NANDYAVARTA

Temple city of Madurai

3. SARVATOBHADRA- Literally means bliss full for all.
• It is oblong or square and divided into interlineal chambers.
• In center temple dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva is
located.
• No. of car streets varies form one to five with a boulevard going
around the village.
• Pavillions, Rest houses, colleges halls at several corners.
• Town is secured by a wall and a ditch with four large
gates on the sides and many gates at corners.
• Hamlets for vaisyas and shudras should be allotted
towards the south.
• Drapers and weavers have their quarters in between
west and the south west.
• Blacksmits are to be quartered between varuna and vayu
and further opposite to them are fishermen and the
butchers.
• Physicians are to assigned between Vayu and Soma.
• By the side of eastern wall temple of chamunda is
erected.
• Huts of chandalas and outcastes in the further outer
proximity.
• Tanks and reservoirs should be constructed either in
south or in the intermediate quaters.
SARVATOBHADRA

City of Thanjavor in Tamil Nadu Bhrideshwar temple complex

 4. SWASTIKA – Based on mystic figure
swastika.
• There are two streets passing through
center.
• Traversing streets are planted in clock
wise direction.
1
• Ramparts defend the village and a ditch
is to enclose these rampart.
• There are eight gates .
• Kings palace should be erected in the
four cardinal direction, in the cell of
aryama or others.
• Temple at the center.
• The bhuddhist temple should be
established on the plot of vayu and
Jains temple in south-west in the cell of
nitri.
• Temple of durga and ganesh in four
directions.
• The outer most road is lined with single
row of houses while other streets have
double row of houses.
5. PRASTARA – Literally it means a
village resembling a couch
• This town is either square or oblong.
• Space is divided into 4, 9, or 16 wards by
a network of streets.
• These streets vary from 6,7, 8, 9, or 11
dandas.
• In wards roads are planted in chess board
system. But they are not divide in equal
no of plots.
• division was according to degree of
rank or wealth of the person.
• The village is enclosed walls and ditches
with four principal gates on south and
subsidiary ones in the corners.
PRASTARA
6. PADMAKA :- Mayamata says
there are five variety of this Village.
• Its Length and Breadth are made
equal while the enclosing walls are
circular or it can be quadrangular,
hexagonal, or octagonal.
• The divide edifice or council house
should be at the center.
• Round about this plot should be
planted streets no. four to eight and
they are line with houses.
• There should be gates in four
cardinal directions.
PADMAKA
 7. KARMUKHA – Literally means a Bow.
• Its shape is semi circular or semi
elliptical, like a bow.
• This type of plan is used at sea shore.
• Towns like Pattana, Kheta, or Khavarta
are planned in this manner.
• Pattana has preponderance of viasyas.
• Kheta is generally inhabited by Traders
and Laborers.

• It has two car streets and one principal streets.

• If bow faces west then one car streets runs from south to east and other from north to
east and principal street runs from west to east and other runs from north to south.
• No. of traverse streets can be from one to five
• Houses range on both side of them.
• It may have desirable no. of gates and circumvallation is optional.
KARMUKHA

Poomphar or Kaveripattinam was ancient trading center

8. CAHTURMUKHA
• It is square or oblong in shape lying east- west.
• There are four car streets on four sides.
• Two large streets crossing at right angles in the
center dividing the whole site into four blocks or
wards.
• Four principal gates are raised placed on the
terminus of two highways and no. of supplementary
gates at corner.
• Each ward is planted with four smaller roads
crossed by same no. of them.
• The south eastern ward is alloted for Brahmins.
• South- western for ruling class.
• North- Eastern and North- western to traders.
• Sudras or artisians and labour class are relegated to
the extreme borders.
 Put in any more case studies u might encounter..
TOWN PLANNING ASPECTS
 The science of building was quite advanced during
the Vedic period.
 The Vedic civilization leaving its primitive stage far
behind had registered remarkable progress in the
field of building edifices and planning villages and
towns.
 The symbolism which abound the architecture and
town planning of vedic town was the outcome of
this quest of gyan
 The scope of Ancient Indian town planning included
all relevant requirement of a healthy civic life. This
science includes descriptions of temples, moats,
city, forts etc.
 DANDAKA
 Streets are straight and intersect each other
at right angles.
 Village has four gates at four sides.
 Village is rectangular/square.
 Width of street varies from 1-5 danda.
 2 tranverse streets at the extremities have
single row of houses.
 The village offices located in the east.
 The female deity located outside the village
and the male deities in the northern part.
 PADMAKA
 This type of plan was practiced for building of the
towns with fortress all round.
 The pattern of the plan resembles the petals of
lotus radiating outwards from the center.
 The city used to be practically an island surrounded
by water, having no scope for expansion.
 SWASTIKA
 Swastika type of plan contemplates some diagonal
streets dividing the site into certain rectangular
plots.
 The site need not e marked out into a square or
rectangle and it may be of any shape.
 A rampart wall surrounds the town, with a moat at
its foot filled with water.
 Two main streets cross each other at the center,
running south to north and west to east.
 PRASTARA
 The characteristic feature of this plan is that the site
may be either square or rectangular but not
triangular or circular.
 The sites are set apart for the poor, the middle
class, the rich and the very rich, the site of the sites
increasing according to the capacity of each to
purchase or build upon.
 The main roads are much wider compared to those
of other patterns.
 The town may or may not be surrounded by a fort.
 CHATURMUKHA
 Chaturmurmukha type of plan is applicable to all
towns starting from the largest own to the smallest
village.
 The site may be either square or rectangular having
four faces.
 The town is laid out east to west lengthwise, with
four main streets.
 The temple of the presiding deity will be always at
the center.
 KARMUKA
 This plan is suitable for the place where the site of
the town is in the form of bow or semi-circular or
parabolic and mostly applied for towns located on
the seashore or riverbanks.
 The main streets of the town run from north to
south or east to west and the cross streets run at
right-angles to them, dividing the whole area into
blocks.
 The presiding deity, commonly a female deity, is
installed in the temple build in any convenient
place.