Urban Planning and Architecture in India

Architecture and Civil Engineering

Vinayak Rajat Bhat is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems, Chanakya University, Bengaluru.
The presentation deals with topics like bad drainage systems, town planning, temple architecture, and the importance of Indian Vastu tradition,
India's IT capital, Bangalore, experiences flooding due to rapid growth and lack of proper planning.
Mumbai's flooding issues are often attributed to human-made problems rather than the quantity of water.
The presentation highlights cities in India facing issues with urban planning, safety, and overcrowding (e.g., Kanpur, Delhi, and Bangalore).
Waterlogging is a common issue during rainy seasons across various Indian cities.
Ancient Indian texts (like Kautilya's plan) show detailed urban planning, zoning based on Varna, and identification of areas for specific activities,
Archaeological explorations confirm well-developed town planning in the Indus Valley Civilization.
Archaeological excavations in India point to ancient town-planning practices.
Over 3000 ancient monuments and archaeological sites in India demonstrate its architectural legacy.
The presentation also discusses the importance of Indian Vastu traditions and their relevance to architecture.
Vāstu-śāstra, also known as Vāstu-vidyā or śilpa-śāstra, deals with the science of artistic creation through design, fabrication, and construction.
Key elements of Vāstu-śāstra include the earth/ground, temples/palaces, conveyance, and couches.
Vāstu-śāstra principles include aligning structures with natural forces to optimize intended use.
Different categories of towns (e.g., capital city, secondary residence of a king, commercial centers, fortifications) are explained in detail, including specific examples from Indian history.
The presentation lists various alternative designs for town planning (like Dandaka, Nandyāvarta, Sarvatobhadra, and Prastara), mentioning their suitability for different contexts and geographic locations.
Temple architecture's long history includes cave temples (e.g., Ajanta and Ellora), and specific South Indian temple styles (e.g., Chola and Pandya).
The presentation covers famous examples of temples like Thanjavur Temple (a 1000-year-old granite structure), Sun Temple at Konark, and Kailāsa Temple in Ellora, emphasizing their construction details, and astronomical/timekeeping features.
Structural components of temples, including Garbhagrha, Mandapa, and Prāhāra, and iconography are detailed.
Various aspects of temple architecture in ancient India, including their components, types, number of stories, and shapes of the vimāna, are examined.

Town Planning and Architecture

Town planning is a collective set of processes, ideas, and methods to deploy land for human habitation.
It involves the design of land use, built environment, including air, water, and infrastructure, transportation, communication networks, and optimal layout of human settlements.
Architecture deals with planning, designing, and constructing buildings like residential houses, common meeting places (shops, offices, temples), and other structures (dams, bridges, ports and transportation hubs).

Selected Vāstu-śāstra Texts

Various texts (e.g., Kāśyapa-śilpa, Nārada-śilpa-śāstra, Viśvakarma–prakāśa, Mānasāra) cover issues related to town planning.
Each text discusses different aspects of principles behind designing temples, residences, and town planning in India.
These texts detail topics such as site selection, town design, land use patterns, and related issues.

Water Management

Step wells are discussed as an example of water management in ancient India.

Iconography

Idol making requires understanding the relative proportions of different body parts (e.g., eyes, ears, chin).
Technical details on body proportions for idols of gods are detailed in ancient Indian texts.

Additional Information

There is a list of issues discussed in Vāstu-śāstra, including Yajamāna (host), Sthāpatyam (architecture), Śilpis (craftspeople), and Bhūmi (land).
The presentation also includes topics like Vāstospati (offerings), Pādavinyāsa (site layout), Vastu (materials) ,and Alankaraņam (renovations and decorations) in relation to construction.
There are examples of four types of Sthāpati (master architects) and other technicians within the construction team.