Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
FY B.Tech Planning
VEDIC CIVILIZATION
INDUS VALLEY
India iscountry which passes huge ancient knowledge in the form of Vedas. “Vedas”
means knowledge. They describes the study of basic meaning, type and form of our
ancient knowledge and wisdom.
There are four Vedas in ancient wisdom.
Vedas are further divided in various branches and Vastu Shastra is one of them. It
comes from Sthapatya Veda- where stapthya means to establish and veda means
knowledge therefore.
SOCIAL ASPECTS
The invasion led to social stratification – conqueror and the defeated.
The defeated as captives and slaves were put into agricultural works
and clustered around religious centers.
The conqueror were higher castes and not into agriculture
One leader – political cum storage in charge – at some central location –
surrounded by higher caste people engaged in defense in administration
Another leader – Religious leader – another central location-surrounded
by priests and people of higher castes.
ECONOMIC ASPECTS
Economy was principally agricultural
Agriculture is space extensive
Granary and storage was important – This space needed protection
hence was located near the defense leader’s area at the centre.
TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECTS
Hardly any industrial activity
Impact of straight and parallel lines were derived by the terracing of
agricultural land and the dams which was the origin of the ziggurats.
Transportation was on foot . Inter settlement transportation was on water.
Level of water In the rivers change and hence special protection wall
were needed.
The river and the spine of transportation divided the settlement into two
parts..
Culture
VARIOUS STAGES OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF Evolution
ANCIENT VEDIC VILLAGES
• Making the outlines of the Vastu-Purushmandala and Division in to plots (vastu-
purushmandala ) • Layout of the principal
streets.
• Division in to hypothetical
rings of Brahma, Daivika,
Manushya & Paisacha.
ACCORDING TO SIZE
• Special Town
Pattana – The Second residence of Town.
Putabhedana _ It is a similar to Pattana, in addition to being a
commercial center
Evolution
ANCIENT TOWN CLASSIFICATION:
ACCORDING TO SHAPE AND PURPOSE
According to Shape and Purpose Ancient towns are divided into eight types.
Dandaka
Nandyavarta
Sarvatobhadra
Swastika
Prastara
Padmaka
Karmukha
Chaturmukha
1. DANDAKA- Literally means a phalanx or
a staff.
• It is usually a rectangular or square.
3
• Its streets are straight and cross each other
1 at right angles.
3
• No. of streets vary from one to five running
parallel to each other.
2
• Streets at extrems have single row of
houses and streets at center are lined with
4
double row of houses.
• Town offices and panchyats are located in
the eastern portion of the town.
1. Vishnu temple
2. Shiva temple • This type of town is considered auspicious
3. Monasteries and gardens for Brahmins. It may contain
4. Town offices
12,24,50,108,or 300 Brahmin families.
NANDYAVARTA
• It may be square or Oblong.
• It is divided in 4 main vitthis.
• The town has four large streets along the sides.
This type of layout is like a mystic figure
Nandyavarta.
• There can be three. Five or seven sets of such
1. Temple streets, with a row of houses on each side.
2. Tank
3. Palace • The lanes which are traverse between the main
4. Court
5. Brahmins Quarters roads should have no houses.
6. School
7. Monastery • Vithis is a streets which is lined with houses.
8. Hospital
9. Theater • Marga is a streets which is devoid of any
10. Residence for Artisans
11. Quarters for other castes houses.
12. Quarters for fisherman's
• Small roads are at interval of six or seven rajjus (
1 Rajju = 10 dandas = 60 feet).
• Usually streets are 3,4 or 5 dandas wide.
NANDYAVARTA
INSTRUCTIONS…
Search for more case studies as discussed..
Try to relate the town planning aspects and the
cultural traits..
There are many more inclusions like:
http://www.vediccityplanning.com/fundamental-
principles-of-vedic-urban-design-and-country-
planning/
https://www.google.co.in/search?q=Vedic+town+pla
nning&sa=X&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=935&tbm=isc
h&tbo=u&source=univ&ved=0ahUKEwjLzbii5sTKA
hXFCI4KHSknAWgQsAQILQ
http://www.gloriousindia.com/history/vedic_civilizati
on.html
DANDAKA
Streets are straight and intersect each other
at right angles.
Village has four gates at four sides.
Village is rectangular/square.
Width of street varies from 1-5 danda.
2 tranverse streets at the extremities have
single row of houses.
The village offices located in the east.
The female deity located outside the village
and the male deities in the northern part.
PADMAKA
This type of plan was practiced for building of the
towns with fortress all round.
The pattern of the plan resembles the petals of
lotus radiating outwards from the center.
The city used to be practically an island surrounded
by water, having no scope for expansion.
SWASTIKA
Swastika type of plan contemplates some diagonal
streets dividing the site into certain rectangular
plots.
The site need not e marked out into a square or
rectangle and it may be of any shape.
A rampart wall surrounds the town, with a moat at
its foot filled with water.
Two main streets cross each other at the center,
running south to north and west to east.
PRASTARA
The characteristic feature of this plan is that the site
may be either square or rectangular but not
triangular or circular.
The sites are set apart for the poor, the middle
class, the rich and the very rich, the site of the sites
increasing according to the capacity of each to
purchase or build upon.
The main roads are much wider compared to those
of other patterns.
The town may or may not be surrounded by a fort.
CHATURMUKHA
Chaturmurmukha type of plan is applicable to all
towns starting from the largest own to the smallest
village.
The site may be either square or rectangular having
four faces.
The town is laid out east to west lengthwise, with
four main streets.
The temple of the presiding deity will be always at
the center.
KARMUKA
This plan is suitable for the place where the site of
the town is in the form of bow or semi-circular or
parabolic and mostly applied for towns located on
the seashore or riverbanks.
The main streets of the town run from north to
south or east to west and the cross streets run at
right-angles to them, dividing the whole area into
blocks.
The presiding deity, commonly a female deity, is
installed in the temple build in any convenient
place.