________________
or at places where four thoroughfares meet, or in the king's highway. The theatre and the concert hall are to be built by the side of each other. The text and the commentary contemplate three kinds of buildings, Nățaka Sāla, Nāțya Sāla and Giti Säla. But their construction is not dealt with in detail. These buildings are divided into 3 parts. Daiva, Gandharva and Manusa. In the Daiva portion which is generally at the hind part of the building, the deities to be worshipped as a preliminary to a drama, dance or concert are installed. The stage proper is the Gåndharva portion where music and dance are performed. The green room which is behind is divided into two halves, one for actors and the other for actresses. The dimensions of the theatre may be from 4 to 20 dandas. The lengths assigned to the Daiva, Gāndharva and Mūnușa parts are generally in the ratio of 1:2:3.1
1. In Bharata's Natya Sastra the dimension of theatres and the several parts into which they are divided are given in greater detail. There are 3 sizes mentioned of which the biggest is 108 cubits in length and 64 cubits in breadth, is said to be intended for celestials. The next two sizes of 64 cubits by 32 cubits and 32 by 32 are said to be fit for human beings. The entire theatre is divided into 2 halves, the front half being the auditorium and the back-balf, the stage. The stage is again divided into 2 halves, the front half being the stage proper. The hinder portion is again divided into 2 halves, the frons half being a sort of resting place for actors before or after they appear on the stage, and the hinder half being the green room. The three parts into which the stage is divided are called Rangapitha, Rangasirsa and Nepathya, Square and triangular theatres are also mention. ed of side 32 cubits. There is in Tanjore a Natya Sala or Sangita Mahal as it is called nowadays, within the palace premises which has been built by the Nayak rulers about the close of the 16th century. It has got exquisite accoustio properties, namely maximum resonance and minimum echos. The shape of the auditorium is that of a cave as recom. mended in Natya Sastra, that is an arched building with tall sides. The roof oonsists of a series of semi-cylindrical faces with short radil so that the refleoted sound waves may be concentrated high above the audience without reaching them in a concentrated form. This seoures a minimum eoho. A speoial addition for securing large resonance has been added to the building. This consists of three big bollow spheres built on the three sides of the stage proper namely the sides and the back portion with smaller hollow spheres in between them. They
8. viii
