VEDIC CIVILIZATION
INTRODUCTION:
After the collapse of Indus valley civilization due to natural disasters and
Aryan Invasion (1500BC-1000BC), the Vedic culture with Vedic style of
architecture came into existence.
These settlers were highly knowledgeable about the town planning.
They founded many cities into along the banks of river.
Vedic principles of planning involve 4 Vedas:
Where Vedas means „knowledge‟,
RIGVEDA- Termed as stuti of god
SAMVEDA- describes about how to pronounce
mantras
YUJURVEDA- it describes how to perform yagya
ARTHAVEDA- it describes art of living
VARIOUS FACTORS INVOLVED IN EVOLUTION OF
VEDIC CIVILIZATION:
• PHYSIOGRAPHIC CHARACTER:
Temperature was moderator, around northern and southern part of vindhyas
There was no earthquake and plain land
Abundant wildlife in foothills
Cultivation was easy and no need for irrigation
Supply of water from river
Land between hills, Himalayas and the seas to the south were secured.
• POWER AND POLITICS:
No need to defence against other communities and invasion
Hence communities were small.
• ECONOMIC:
The economy was principally agricultural, security of life did not need, to
develop storage of food grains.
No specific economic leadership.
• SOCIO-CULTURAL:
No social stratification.
There was no need for any division of labour for production, defence
administration
Agriculture was the main economy therefore spare some time,
therefore art, philosophy, science, ethics and religion developed.
Religious life was influenced by saints and sages.
Philosophic thinking nurtured.
Science developed.
• TECHNOLOGY:
No industries, no need of defence, hence no major construction.
No need of utilities and services as settlements were closest to water
bodies.
VARIOUS STAGES OF ESTABLISHMENT OF VEDIC
VILLAGES:
• UPTO 400BC
• BOOK: “Viswa Karmaprakash” - states principle as „ layout firsts, then
plan houses‟
• Deals with architecture and spatial organisation of residential
quarters,
Soil study
Climate
Topography
Orientation
Layout of towns
VEDIC TOWNS CLASSIFICATIONS:
• ACCORDING TO SHAPES AND PURPOSE , ANCIENT TOWNS ARE DIVIDED INTO
EIGHT TYPES:
1. DANDAKA
The streets are straight
and intersect each other
at right angles at the DANDAKA PLAN
centre
Village has 4 gates on four
sides
Rectangular / square in
plan
The village offices located
in the east
The female deity located
outside the village and
male deity on the northern
portion
2 transverse roads at the
extremities have single
row of houses.
2. NANDYAVARTA
It may be square or oblong
It is divided into 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 streets, with a row of houses on each
side. •
The lanes which are traverse between the
main roads should have no houses. • Vithis
is a streets which is lined with houses.
Marga is a streets which is devoid of any 1. Temple
houses. 2. Tank
3. . Palace
4. Court
5. . Brahmins Quarters
6. School
7. Monastery
8. Hospital
9. heater
10. Residence for Artisans
11. Quarters for other castes
12. Quarters for fisherman's
3.SARVATHOBHADRA:
This type of town plan is
applicable to larger villages/
towns which have to be
constructed on a square sites.
According to this plan the whole
town have to be occupied by
houses of various descriptions
and inhabitants of all classes of
people.
The temple dominates the village.
In the centre, temple dedicated to
Bramha, Vishnu or Shiva is
located.
Tanks and reservoirs should be
constructed either in south or in
the intermediate quarters.
4.SWASTIKA:
Based on mystic figure
swastika, there are two
streets passing from the
centre.
Traversing streets are
located in clockwise
direction.
There are eight gates
Temple at the centre
The Buddhist temple
should be established on
the plot
Temple of Ganesh and
Durga in four directions.
The outermost road lined
with single road houses
where as inner roads
have houses on both the
sides.
5.PRASTARA:
• The characteristic feature of this
plan is that the site may either be
square or rectangular but not
triangular or circular.
• The site a re set apart for the poor,
the rich, the middle class and the
very rich. The site increases
according to the capacity of each to
purchase or built upon.
• The main roads are much wider
than that of the other patterns
• The town may or may not be
surrounded by a fort.
6.PADMAKA:
• Its Length and Breadth are made
equal while the enclosing walls are
circular or it can be quadrangular,
hexagonal, or octagonal. •
• the divide edifice or council house
should be at the centre. •
• Round about this plot should be
planted streets no. four to eight and
they are line with houses. •
• There should be gates in four
cardinal directions.
• This type of city used to be a type of
island surrounded by water having
no scope for expansion.
7.KARMUKHA:
• Literally means Bow.
• Its shape is semi circular, or semi elliptical, like a bow.
• This type of plan is used at sea shore.
• Town like Pattana are planned in this manner.
• It has two car streets and one principle street.
• No. of traverse street can be from one to five.
• Houses range from both sides of them
• It can have desired no. of gates.
8.CHATURMUKHA
• Chaturmukha type of plan is
applicable to all towns right from
the largest town to the smallest
town.
• The site may be either square or
rectangular having four faces.
• The town is laid east to west with
four main streets.
• The temple will always be at the
centre.
• Each ward is planted with four
smaller roads crossed by same nos.
of them.
TOWN PLANNING ASPECTS:
1. The science of building was quite advanced during the Vedic period.
2. The Vedic civilization leaving its primitive stage far behind had
registered remarkable progress in the field of planning towns and
villages.
3. The symbolism which abound the architecture and town planning of
Vedic town was the outcome of this quest of gyan
4. The scope of Ancient Indian town planning included all relevant
requirement of a healthy civic life.
5. This science includes descriptions of temples, moats, city, forts etc
