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Mayamata and Building Construction (study)

by Ripan Ghosh | 2024 | 61,593 words

This page relates ‘Instructions for constructing the Socle (Upapitha-vidhana)� of the study dealing with Mayamata—an ancient Indian architectural treatise dealing with building construction (bhavana-nirmana). It forms part of “Vastuvidya�: a stream of Sanskrit technical literature encompassing village and town planning, temple architecture and other aspects like site selection, orientation, and structural arrangements aimed at promoting harmony and prosperity.

Part 5 - Instructions for constructing the Socle (貹īṻ-vidhāna)

貹īṻ or socle in architecture refers to the base or pedestal structure upon which a statue, column, or structure can be built. It is an additional base for a building, placed beneath the base (ṣṭԲ) to add strength, beauty, and height to the building. It serves both functional and aesthetic purposes, it provides support to the whole construction, as well as enhance the visual appeal. 

In the text վś첹-ٳśٰ, it is said that the ܱ貹īṻ enhances the beauty of the building and protects the construction.

ܱ貹īṻkriyāyoga� śobhārakṣaṇavardhaka |
ٲٳٲٰ첹貹Բ� śٲ� nirmāṇe bahurupake || (վś첹-ٳśٰ 77.1)

Therefore, the construction of a socle requires careful planning and attention to ensure that it fulfills its functional role. Maya says that-

ṣṭԲsya cādhastādܱ貹īṻ� proyojayet |
rakṣārtharmunnātārtha� ca śobhārtha� tat pravakṣyate || (Mayamata 113.1)

1. Projection of the socle:

The height of the socle can vary based on the size of the base. It might have the same height of the base or it can have be three quarters, half, or two fifths of the height of the base. In some cases, it could be one and a half, one and three quarters, or twice the height of the base.

In some cases, the height of the socle can be measure depending on the plinth of the base (nirgama). Maya says that:

utsedhe daśabhāge tu ekenaikena vardhanāt |
pañcāśāntamṣṭԲjanmād bāhye tu Ծ� || (Mayamata 13.4)

The term nirgama refers to the extensions of moulding or any other architectural element measured from the location of another element, such as the plinth of the base in this context. It is said that height of the socle should typically be increased from one to five tenths of the plinth's height. Sometimes, it may be equal to the plinth's height. It can also be measured by one module (ٲṇḍ), or one and a half, or two and three modules.

2. Classification of socle:

Maya classifies the socle into three categories: Vedibhadra, Pratibhadra, and Subhadra. Several texts on ٳܱⲹ also classify the ܱ貹īṻ, but many discrepancies have been found in their descriptions. Depending on the measurement system and پ (constructional style), the վś첹屹ٳśٰ primarily classifies the ܱ貹īṻ into two categories. According to the measurement system, it is classified into three categories: uttama, madhyama, and adhama. On the other hand, based on constructional style, it is divided into seven categories: Pratibhadra, ᾱ󲹻, Ѳñ󲹻, ūⲹ󲹻, Chandrabhadra, and Gandharvabhadra. Among these, the first three types should be made with prastara (stone), ūⲹ󲹻 and Chandrabhadra are made of wood, and Gandharvabhadra is to be built with metal.

վś첹屹ٳśٰ says that

pratibhadra� vājibhadra� mañcabhadrantu śailaja� |
sūryabhadra� candrabhadra� dārukārye prayojayet ||
gandharvabhadra� deveśabhadra� lohakriyārhaka� |
saptasvapi ca śailīṣu yojyametatprakirtita� || (վś첹-ٳśٰ 77.4-5)

Some particular types of motif or design are used to construct the building that besides enhancing the beauty of the construction provides strength to the building structure. They are generally used in the construction of socle, entablature etc. These decorative patterns /motifs/figures are as follows-ܰ첹 (plinth), Pankaja (doucine), Alinga (fillet), Antara (another fillet), Prati (lower string-course) etc.

Vedibhadra:

The height of the Vedibhadra socle is divided into twelve parts. Two parts are used to make upana (plinth). Remaining ten parts of the socle should be distributed to make some motifs divided into different mouldings. Plinth means a block of stone on which a column stands. One part of the socle is dedicated for padma (doucine), half part for ṣe貹Բ (fillet), five parts for the ī (dado), half part for a kampa (fillet) and one for ambuja (doucine). Rest of the parts is used to make the ᲹԲ (upper string-course) and the kampa (fillet). These are the eight parts of a Vedibhadra socle. If the upper and lower padma/ ambuja are excluded than this socle can be arranged with six mouldings. Thus we find two categories off Vedibhadra socle-with eight mouldings and six mouldings.

Maya says that:

ṣaḍaṅga� vā vidhātavyamūrdhvādhastād vināmbuja� |
徱󲹻� dvidhā prokta� sarvaharmyeṣu yogyaka� || (Mayamata 13.8)

Pratibhadra 貹īṻ:

The current text of the Mayamata prescribes two types of pratibhadra ܱ貹īṻ.

First and second type of pratibhadra ܱ貹īṻ:

The height of the first pratibhadra ܱ貹īṻ should be divided into twenty-seven parts where the second type comprises twenty eight parts. Like vedibhadra socle these parts are distributed to make different motifs.

Here we are presenting two charts depicting these two types.

First type of pratibhadra ܱ貹īṻ:

Name of the mouldings Parts
Janma and ᲹԲ (fillet) 1
ܰ첹 (Plinth) 2
ʲṅkᲹ (doucine) 2
Kampa (fillet) 1
ṇṭ (dado) 12
Uttara (architrave) 1
Ambuja (dripstone) 3
Kapota (groove) 1
ĀԲ(fillet) 1
Prati (upper string-course) 2
ᲹԲ (top-fillet) 1


Second type of pratibhadra ܱ貹īṻ:

Name of the mouldings parts
ܰ첹(plinth ) 2
Pankaja(Doucine ) 3
Alinga(A fillet ) 1
Antarita (groove ) 1
Prati (Lower string-course ) 2
Urdha ᲹԲ (a fillet ) 1
ṇṭ(dado ) 8
Uttara (a fillet ) 1
Abja(doucine ) 1
Kapota (dripstone ) 3
ĀԲ (a fillet ) 1
Antarita(groove ) 1
Prati(upper string-course ) 2
UrdhaᲹԲ(a fillet ) 1


Subhadra ܱ貹īṻ:

There are two types of Subhadra upapītha found in the text Mayamata. The first type of Subhadra ܱ貹īṻ and the second type of Subhadra upapītha. Both types should possess twenty one parts, but the motifs and distributions of them are different for each type.

Fisrt type of subhadra ܱ貹īṻ:

Name of the mouldings Parts
Janma 2
Padma 3
Kandara 1
ᲹԲ 2
Kampa 1
ṇṭ 8

Kampa
1
ᲹԲ 2
Top fillet (kampa) 1


Second type of Subhadra ܱ貹īṻ:

Name of the mouldings Parts
Janma (plinth ) 2
Ambuja(doucine ) 2
Ka ṇṭha(groove ) ½
Padma (doucine ) ½
ᲹԲ (upper string-course ) 2
Abja (a fillet ) ½
Kampa(fillet ) ½
ṇṭ (dado ) 8
Uttara (fillet ) 1
Padma(doucine ) ½
ҴDZԲ첹 (dripstone ) 3
Higher kampa (top-fillet ) ½


It is prescribed that among the different parts of the socle, the stringcourse is most significant for the constructional work, since various icons of animals, like lions, elephants, makaras, etc., are decorated at this part of the socle.

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