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primary necessities were living in the janapadas. Therefore, the professions of those living in towns were urbane and hence the description in the Angas is that of urban centres.
Suburban area :
Mehte
These urban centres have a tendency to expand. This expansion develops the suburban areas where gardens, gardenhouses, temples etc. develop. Such suburban areas are noted in the Angas. They had Caityas, settlements of women etc. These suburban areas were known to the Buddhist Tripitkas which refer to the Arāmas of different individuals including, ladies like Amrapali in different cities. This character of the Indian towns is described by the poet Kalidasa in Meghdūta 7 as गन्तव्या ते वसतिरलका नाम यक्षेश्वराणां agdana frag facraftar dita graf” |
This suburban area occupied by Caityas and its forests is noted in the Mahaparinibbāņa Sutta also. There it is seen that the Caitya, a funerary structure was outside the city, in its suburban area where cremation ground also existed. The description in the Angas gives correct situation of the townscape. The description suggests that the Caityȧ existed in a well-wooded area out-side the main city. It was both a place of worship and entertainment as noted in the description. Such situation develops during festivals. Usually preacher-mendicants stay in such religious centres out-side the main habitation.
Water Supply:
The towns were supplied with enough Agada, Tadaga, Dihiya, Vappina, Puşkarinis etc. However, their distribution in the towns is not well defined. The descriptions of Saudharma Kalpa suggest their existence is palatial areas. They might have existed both inside the city as well as out side. But the descriptions of stepwells, Pushkarinis, Taḍāgas etc. in the same town should be treated as generalised descriptions only. Here different forms of acquatic construction are mixed up. Janapadas.
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