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CITY-SECURITY
1. (c) Facilities like Aaram (entertainment centers), gardens, wells, ponds, Bavadi (a deep and elaborate masonry tank or well with steps down to the water level), and small barrages made the city of Champa as beautiful as Nandan-van (the divine garden). The city was surrounded by a circular, high, wide and deep moat. To secure it from any enemy attack there was a high double walled rampart of masonry equipped with weapons like chakra (diskweapon), gada (mace) and bhusundi (a sling like weapon for throwing stones). Over the wall was placed a shataghni (a giant catapult capable of launching large rocks that could crush hundreds of soldiers). The doors of the main gate into the city were extremely strong and impenetrable. This fortification surrounding the city had a bow like complex shape. This large bulwark had battlements having small peep-holes from which attacking army could be watched.
Cabins were also constructed on this rampart. There was also an eight cubit wide pathway in the middle. Small windows and gates could be seen all along the rampart. This city wall was made attractive with numerous gates and torans (ornamental entrances). There was a network of pathways and streets reaching the highway.
The strong latch-chains and door-bolts were made by skilled artisans.
The markets and trading centers in the city were always crowded. As potters, weavers and many other artisans inhabited the city, all essential merchandise was easily available to the citizens. The city construction included shops and other such structures at triangular avenues and intersections where three, four or more roads met. Everything was available in these shops and they enhanced the beauty of the markets.
The main road was often crowded due to frequent movement of the king's cavalcade. The city remained congested with numerous horses of good breed, majestic elephants, clusters of chariots, a variety of palanquins like shivika (small palanquin) and syandamanika (large palanquin), and other vehicles including yugma (a palanquin shaped vehicle).
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