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The Structural Temples of Gujarat is especially devoted to the forms of Jain deities and the temples enshrining them.74 (h) Arthaśāstra : ( 300 B. C.-100 B. C.)75
The authorship of this text is ascribed to the famous Kautilya, the Prime-minister of Chandragupta Maurya. This is the first datable text on civil architecture. It contains the scientific definition of Vāstu76 which includes buildings and their engineering both. Houses (or the sites of houses ), pleasure-gardens (Ārāmas), Setubandhas (embankments and bridges ) and lakes etc. are called Vāstu. The technical words like Vastuhțdaya, Navabhanga the central plot of nine plot sites etc. and the different kinds of roads with their appropriate names are the proofs of existence of developed science of architecture in that time. Durga-Niveśa?? is a most systematic presentation of royal palaces and forts. As regards the dedication of temples in the centre of the city, it remarks that in the Kosthakālayas, the Vastudevatās should also be set up according to their alloted positions. This gives us to conclude that Pada-vinyās, a very developed canon of town planning, was a stereotyped canon in Kautilya's age. Road-planning, planning of fort and palaces along with folk-planning and that connected with professions were all well established. The word · Pratoli' occurs for the first time here. Popular residential houses like Sālā-buildings and religious types like Caitya and Stūpas are also delineated upon. But the most copious descriptions and the presentations thereof pertain to forts and the palace-architecture.78 Thus the early works of pre-Christen era like Hymns, Sūtras, Jātakas, Epics Arthaśāstra 74. For detail vide the description of the text given below. 75 Chro Kane. 76. Kaultiya's Arth. Book. III, Chap. 8. 77. Ibid, Book II. Ch. 4. 78. For detail refer Dr. Bhattacharya. A study of Vastuvidyā or Canons of Indian Architecture. Ch. IX.
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