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The Palace From the various and numerous references from the Kathasaritsagara a fair information of the king's palace can be gathered. General Features The palace generally appears to be situated in the centre of the city. It was surrounded by a great mote and a wall with many gates to enter. The maingate that has 173 A. Nirnaya Sagar 13.1.214. 174. Ibid. 10.8.7, 7.4.100,106, 12.5.106, 12.1.33,7.9.236. 175. Ibid. 12.5.99 6.3.37 6.1.12, 5.2.228, 18.2.147, 12.11.50, 12.6.326, 18.5.64, 12.6.336, 3.6.22,24,44, 17.1.83, 1.7.41, 16.1.24, 12.30.7, 5.2.74, 2.2.194, 4.2.24, 18.3.62,74,77, 12.5.99, 6.7.58, 14.2.160, 4.1.71, 3.6.149. 1 1

67 176 often been mentioned in Kathasaritsagara was called the Simba-Duara. 177 It was well-guarded. Probably this gate was always used by the King and appears to be infront of his palace: From 178 the windows of the palace he watched the guards on duty. The gate was guarded throughout the day and night. A gatekeeper is referred to as reading a letter from his wife, 179 under a lamp at one such gate. Thus it appears that the gates of the palace were lighted during night. 180 Special The interior of the palace was also lighted. servants were employed in the palace for this purpose. It is said that Bha Bhayanika, a maid-servant of the king of 181 Ujjayini used to light the lamps in his palace everyday. Naravahanadatta is also mentioned to have lighted a lamp in his chamber at Sravasti. 182 The palace appears to have covered a vast area. This 183 was the general feature of the palaces in ancient India. Besides the palace of the king with his harem, separate palaces of his chief-queen, other queens, Crown-Prince 176. Nirnaya Sagar 18.5.57, 9.3.102, 2.4.53, 7.9.175, 9.3.3. 177. Ibid. 18.4.20, 12.11.14. 178. Ibid. 9.3.104, 304,305, 18.5.61. 179. Ibid. 18.5.57. 180. Ibid. 12.36.207. 181. Ibid. 2.2.140. 182. Ibid. 12.2.61. 183. Mehta R.L. op.cit. p.107-108, also see Sastri R. op.cit. p.107.

68 184 and at times the princes are mentioned. A separate palace 185 Also the was constructed by Udayana for Kalingasena. alingasena. A 1186 palace of Padmavaty and Wasafadatta / datta is mentioned. A separate palace was constructed for Crown-Prince Naravahanaadatta before he was anointed. At night these palaces and all the apartments in it were fast closed and carefully 188 guarded by watchman. The royal harem of kings Harivara, Mahavaraha, Virabhunja, Naravahanadatta, Susharman, Simhabala and many other kings are mentioned in the various stories from the 189 Kathasaritsagara These palaces are described as many storied with towers and big windows and specious terraces and haging a 190 front as well as a back-yard. The existence of manystoried palaces can surely be traced to much earlier period 193 of Indian History. 191 192 Ramayana and Jain and Buddhist 184. Nirnaya Sagar 3.4.10, 4.1.17, 9.4.240, 8.1.43, 7.5.247, 12.19.24, 9.2.188, 10.10.46, 15.2.3. 14.2.164, 9.3.27, 5.1.197. 12.18.16, 14.4.1, 10.3.33, 18.5.57. 185. Ibid. 6.5.71. 186. Ibid. 3.2.26,27. 4.2.6. 187. Ibid. 6.8.106. 188. Ibid. 18.3.30-31. 189. Ibid. 9.2.116, 9.2.263, 7.5.27,33, 10.2.109, 7.1.116, 1.5.36, 3.4.193, 14.2.131, 14.1.14, 17.5.140. 190. Ibid.7.1.47, 17.4.18, 1.7.61, 10.3.26, 10.3.26, 7.1.47. 17.4.18, 1.7.61. 191. Sastri R. op.cit. p.107. 192. Jain J.C. op.cit. p.54-55. 193. Mehta R.L. op.cit. p.107.

69 Canonical texts mention such palaces. The staircases which generally led to the various stories are also 194 mentioned. These palaces, at times had many zones. It aya is said that the palace in the city Khandawatika had seven 195 zones with two stories, and again the palace of King Karmasena of Ujjayini had many zones crowded with horses 196 and elephants. The palace of King Akarishaka and that 197 of Padmavati also had many stories. The royal court-yard was often the place where people gathered in large numbers either to witness some interesting performance, to make a representation, to Dum address_88 address a complaint to the king or to hear something from 198 the king. Such a gathering was held by King Lakshadatta 199 in his palace wherein he is said to have given citron to his gate-keeper in the presence of his chiefs and ministers. Many kings from the Kathasaritsagara are said to be sleeping during summer season on the terrace of their palace in 200 laticed rooms. These terraces were made of Jewels. The 194. Nirnaya Sagar 5.3.72,77. 195. Nirnaya Sagar 18.3.30-31. 196. Ibid. 12.35.131. 197. Ibid. 3.7.58, 17.4.13. 198. Ibid. 4.2.12, 7.7.2, 1.2-82.12.21.12,9.3.28, 18.5.74. 199. Ibid. 9.3.304, 305. 200. Ibid. 6.4.1, 12.18.16, 17.1.24, 16.2.14, 6.2.110.

70 terrace of the palace of Padmavati was studed with 201 jewels. Kings and queens are said to be watching the 202 movements in the city from these terraces. These 203 palaces were supported by pillars. We do not get any direct idea about the material that was used in the construction of these palaces from the Kathasaritsagara But we may say that timber, brick, mud, mortar, iron, stones, plaster precious stones, gold and silver was used for the purpose. But most of the palaces of the Vidyadhara kings mentioned in the Kathasaritsagara are said to be of gold, with many pillars studded with jewels and precious stones with costly mosaic pavement on which luxurious coaches and 204 splendid thrones were placed. The golden palace of a 205 206 Vidyadhara king is mentioned. The canopy of flashing jewels of a palace is mentioned. It is mentioned that the pavement of the palace of Vasavadatta was composed of translucent flashing lustrous jewels. The halls of the palaces 201. Nirnaya Sagar 17.4.13-14. 202. Ibid. 9.2.339, 6.4.73, 5.3.158. 203. Ibid. 12.19.91-92, 12.14.45. 204. Ibid. 17.4.13,14,15. 8.2.228. 5.3.44. 205. Ibid. 5.3.285. 206. Ibid. 10.1.80. 207. Ibid. 4.2.6.

71 of the Vidyadharas have often been described in details. They are made up of gold (Kanaka) and precious stones, 208 209 have golden walls (Sauvarna bhitti), pearl windows and 210 lattice of pearls. The lakes inside these palaces had 210 212 also steps made of jewels (ratna sopana wapi). These halls had pillars studded with jewels and precious stones. 213 The outside of these mansions was white-washed and inside was decorated with pictures. Different colours were used in these paintings and scenes of war and love were painted on the walls and big portraits of the king and his queen as well used to hang inside them. The king's private chamber, his retiring chamber, the bower of the princess and many other apartments in the palace appear to be painted with various scenes. It is said that the palace of Padmavati had painted walls and on one of them Vasavadatta saw the life history of Rama (ramacharite 214 Sita chhitrabhittishu). At another place it is mentioned that the picture of a king and his chief queen was hung 215 in the private apartment of the king on a wall. It is also stated that a certain painter had painted on the 208. Nirnaya Sagar 5.5.3, 5.3.44. 209. Ibid. 12.19.91-92. 210. Ibid. 6.8.145. 211. Ibid. 5.3.285. 212. Ibid. 12.19.91-92, 17.4.15. 213. Ibid. 2.3.31, 3.4.10. 214. Ibid. 3.2.27. 215. Ibid. 1.5.29.

72 wall of the bower of princess Hamsavati a picture of 216 King Kamalakara with his servants. King Mahamalion is said to have appointed a painter to paint his daughter's 217 bower. 218 King Amaradatta's palace also had picture panels. These pictures were drawn by the royal painters who were in the services of many kings such as Prathivirupa, Vikramaditya, king of Karnata, Kanakavarsha, Yogananda and many others mentioned in the stories from Kathasaritsagara 219 A picture-gallery (Chittora prasada) of King Kanakavarsha is mentioned. He is said to have entered it to amuse himself in the company of beautiful ladies and was inspecting the pictures in the hall drawn by his painter 220 named Roladeva.