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The Structural Temples of Gujarat having flourished in the Northern India. So when we study the works of architecture both architectural i. e. treatises on Vasta and Silpavidyā and non-architectural like Parāņas, Āgamas etc. we are bound to come to conclusion that there were at least two distinct and different architectural traditions in our land. Further, it should be noted that the devotional architecture is the outcome of Bhakti-cult founded by the Purāṇas and Āgamas. The Pauranic Dharma being more popular in the Uttarāpatha, enjoined the consecretion of gods and goddesses in the Devālayas, with Vapi, Kūpa, Tadāgas as the most virtious act. Similarly what the Purāņas did for the north, the Āgamas did for the south. These two relegious traditions corresponding gave rise, to two architectural traditions in the works on the Vastu-vidya, the science of architecture. 106 Many of the works are mainly devoted to the Nagara form of Indian architecture while some other works are mainly concerned with the Dravidian form. As for the temples in Gujarat they hardly contain any example of the Dravidian form. Hence works on the Dravidian form of architecture will be of no avail in our investigation. We may, therefore, confined ourselves to work on the Nāgara form, which also generally contain a short account of the other forms as well.
106. Many of the Silpa manuscripts are copied by the Silpis who better knew to handle the construction itself than to write. These manuscripts contain the indispensable theoretical and practical prescriptions about the construction of houses, palaces, temples fortifications and Idols. For every silpi these are the treasures which were bequeathed by father to son from generation to generation. For him the instructions must be absolute correct irrespective of an accuracy as to grammer, praseology and orthography, which were of subordinate importance to him. This was the reason or source of corruption which we find in these manuscripts. Further the development of ideas and working methods also helped to be obsolete some of the traditional principles, which gradually became unintelligible. These are the some of the reasons why the modern manuscripts display a lot of mistakes and misunderstandings in exposition of the true principles. In
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