ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 122

In the ancient days, architecture was a fully developed art and the professions of mason and carpenter were main professions of the day. Masons and carpenters used to work for houses, mansions, palaces, basements, ponds and temples. Kokkas carpenter of was a skillful sculptor and he made a mechanical pigeon by using his sculpture skills. On the request of Kalinga king, he constructed a mansion of seven storeys. Bricks, clay, sugar, sand stone, etc. were needed for construction work. Brick houses were painted generally with lime. Houses were made out of stone too.
The Mandapa i.e. auditorium made for Draupadi's Swayamvara (an ancient tradition of choosing a bridegroom by a bride) was erected on hundreds of pillars and it looked beautiful due to many pockets. The floors of the bath chambers of kings were studded with stones, Pearls and gems
There was a tradition of constructing Catul mansions in the older days. Sanghad sa Gani has mentioned about Catul mansions.
A block of four houses or a quadrangle surrounded by four mansions on all four sides is called a Catu | Sanghadasa has also mentioned Sarvatobhadra palaces. Anything that has gates on all four sides is called Sarvatobhadra. Sarvatobhadra really hints towards the sculpture charisma of ancient v stu knowledge. In first century B.C., Var hmihir has given the method of building Sarvatobhadra in Brihadsamhita. Buildings which have no gates in the direction of west and which have platforms in four directions built in circumambulatory manner are called Nandy vartya.
In the second Javanika of Karpurmanjari the description of the ornamentation of the heroine expressed in the dialogue between the King and far seeing is actually done in terms of sculpture science. In the first act of Mudrar k asa, when C nakya himself expresses the wish for a place to sit in front of his disciple, then the disciple directs to him to a chamber consisting of Vetr sana (shape of lower world). Similarly, we find hints towards several points of sculpture science and the art of V stu in the incidents of reference to Nanda Bhavana, Rajbhavana-dv ra, Kanakatorana, Sugangapras da and Kusumpura etc.
Establishment of Towns: Form the ancient times, the construction of towns has remained important in architecture. The terminology of architecture has been used in ancient texts like Rm yana, Mah bh rata, J takas, Yugpura, My mata, Manasara, Samar ngas tradh ra etc. For architecture and the construction of houses there used to be architects or engineers. 'Architect' is mentioned even in non-Jaina texts like Manasara, M y mata, Samar ngas tradh ra and many others.
According to the critiqued Jaina texts, towns are fifty-four kms wide and extend from East to West whereas in length they are 72 Kms. extending from South to North. Their entrance is towards East direction. In these towns 1,000 crossroads, 12,000 lanes, big and small 1,000 doors, 500-planked doors and 200 ornamented or decorated doors are seen. In Padmapura it is mentioned that because of these towns being whitewashed with lime, they appeared to be like a row of palaces. In Jaina texts, the prosperity of towns is mentioned. According to Padmapura, during the reign of emperor Bharata, towns were full of great resources as that of heavens. There in the Southern range of Vijayardha Mountain matchless towns, consisting of different sorts of countries and towns, narrow like Matamb i.e. an area of 500 villages and having the expanse of areas surrounded by mountains, rivers and villages are present. The soil of this region is like the soil of the land worthy of worldly enjoyment. Sweet juices, milk, ghee (butter) and other rasas i.e. sweet juices constantly flow from its fountains. At this place heaps of grain appear like mountains. Never ever the granary is empty. Wells and gardens have the smell endowed with luminosity. Paths are comfortable and devoid of any thorn or dust. The drinking pots or the water tanks are under the shade of green and huge trees and are full of sweet juices.
Architectonics has been mentioned in Samar ngas tradh ra, elaborately in various texts of Jaina tradition. In Ya astilaka, a text of 10th century, by Somadevasuri various objects related to architecture are mentioned. Various types of attired or dome-shaped Jaina temples, palaces, kings'
Page 112 of 556
STUDY NOTES version 4.0