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294
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[OCTOBER, 1876.
of a tiger or elephant, it is an omen of good. form the beam, wealth and happiness will dwell If the noise resembles crying or laughing, it is in that house." an ill omen; if the tree falls with its head to
Concerning Doors. the north or east, it is a good omen. The "The timber of the Naval tree is proper for Artocarpus integrifolia, the Pannei (Rottlers doors of temples, the Nimt for doors of Brahtinctoria 1), the Mango, the Bassia longifolia, mans' houses, the Teak for Kshatriyas, the the Eugenia Jambolana, the Mimusops Elengi, the Illappa for Vaisyas, Cocoanat timber for VelMichelia Champaca, the Calatropis gigantea, lálárs. the Phansi (P), the Ficus religiosa, the Fious | "A door should be constructed entirely of indica, the Fious racemosa, the Punica granatum, one sort of timber. It is improper to construct and the Trophis aspera—these are milk-giving it of different kinds; and the door should be trees, and their timber is soft; the timber of hinged to the left door-post, i.e. the left looking all other trees is called hard timber."
from the ontside. On Joining
"Before fixing the door-frame in its place, "Find the breadth of the beam ; let this be find the length of the house, then mark the the length of the connecting tie. Next ascer exact centre. If the door is for a dwelling-house, tain the depth of the beam ; one-ninth part of it should be set up to the left of the aforesaid this should be the thickness of the connecting centre, but if for a temple the centre is the tie : this tie is called kudumi.".
proper place." He gave me a kudumi, and the following is Another rule :-“Find the length of the a sketch of it:
house-wall, divide the sum into nine parts, set off three parts to the left hand, and five parts to the right hand : the door should stand in the remaining part of the wall of the house."
Concerning Door-posts.
"Stone door-posts are proper for temples. “The nails used to secure a joint should be Door-posts of Margosa are proper for Brahmans, driven through the centre when the work is of Ebony or Teak for Kshatriyas, Illappa for for a temple; when the work is intended for Vaisyas, Cocoanut and Acacia for Vellálárs. dwelling-houses, &c. &c., to the right of the “Door-posts should not be placed in the centre is the rule to be observed. If the nails centre of the wall. According to the rule of the are driven to the left of the centre, the enemies anciente, find the thickness of the wall by of the householder will increase, and the house menenre ; divide this into six parts. The centre will be consumed by fire.
of the sixth or onter part is the proper place "A joint should not fall in a line with the for the door." centre of the door; for loss of life and property
Concerning setting up Doors. is the consequence of such an arrangement. "If Leo is ascending, set up the south door; The proper place, if there must be a joint, is if Taurus, set up the west door; if Kuvera, set half-distance from the centre of the door. up the north door; if the Moon is passing the
"Hard timbers should be joined with hard meridian, the east door. When Leo is ascending timbers, and soft timbers with soft. When is the proper time for placing a door in a temple joining, the greater length should be to the of Vishnu. When Taurus is ascending is the right hand, and the lesser to the left of the proper time for placing & door in a temple of joiner. The carpenter should be on the outside, Mahadeva. When Kavera is ascending is the and the silpan on the inner side.
proper time for setting a door in Gaņeśa's tem" In joining beams, if the head of one tree is ple. When the Moon is passing the meridian, joined to the head of another tree, & terrible a door may be set up for any one. illness will pocur in the house, but if the head "If one determines to build a house, let him of a tree and the foot of a tree are joined to be careful to attend to the rules of the Divine
• This verse is slightly obscure, and I found it necessary ends a clean m possible, and the kudumi mentioned above to get a silpan in Tanjore to explain it. According to him, is let into them. datives when joining beams that are to rest on pillars or + Margora of the Portugaese, Molla Asadirachta of bowalls do not mortiso them, us we do. They are both tanists.-ED.
