VEDIC CIVILIZATION ( 1600 B.C. 700B.C.

.) Introduction : If the Indus Valley Civilisation was of Urban type, the Vedic was essentially Nomadic setting only graduaaly changing to pastoral and urban status and that too, against natural adversities like wooded tracts of land !he civilisation is attributed to the "ryan races alleged to have infiltrated India around #$$$% C &wing to the Nomadic lifestyle of the "ryan tribes and also to then wooded character of Indian 'eninsula, the vedic Civilisation came to create a long born tradition of timber architecture Buildin t!c"nolo #: i( ii( iii( iv( )*tensive use of timber in super structures of the buildings inviting to the evolution of art of +oinary Utilitarian use of stone in plinths in oversi,e manner inviting further methods of dressing and bonds 'rogress to -rame Construction from the load %earing was an important achievement of the Vedic Constructional !echnology inviting the use and development of more handy materials like bricks for the infiling purposes 'ersistence of timber based construction however caused in due course of time, a tendency to copy the details as regards the construction !echnology !his in turn prevented e*perimental approach in %uilding technology Use of precious metals for decorative purposes formed the last but not least important characteristics of the Vedic building !echnology

v(

$r%&n 'l&nnin I( In Vedic time the science of village and town planning appears to have followed in its development the influence of immigrating "ryan Civilisation, the information about the Indo . "ryan approach to the townplanning or village 'lanning comes mainly from Vedic treaties and te*ts brought along by the aryans but obviously developed by them before coming to India !he three well known treaties are entitled as, /(Vishwakarmas Vastu0hastra #( 1ansara 2( 1ayamata "ll dating from before 2$$$% C and also "rthashastra of 3autilya composed around 2$$% C #( !hese "ncient Indo "ryan concepts of !ownplanning revealed an urge to meet systematically and comprehensively, the varied needs of the
IN4I"N "5C6I!)C!U5) N&!)0 #$$78$9 V"I06":I :"!3"5

2( 7( i( ii(

0ettlement like, !errain, 4efence, 5eligious and Congregational and other social and economic conditions Indo "ryans preferred Village for a basic unit in Urban 'alnning and retained aclose esemblance in towns and villages interms of planning Concepts !he essential feature fi*ed up for the planning of towns and villages read as ;uadrifold 4ivision of the overall settlement by means of two ma+or cross roads and a peripheral ring road -urther the sub division of each of the four parts made on the same principles producing an open ended network much after a Chess %oard manner of multiple wards allowing for easy and due e*pansion of the settlement in scale to the level of towns &n the whole, the "ryan 'lanning thoughts appears to have comprehended the problem of not only the si,e of the settlement but also of the necessary infra structure for its self sufficiency In this connection, features like study and progress of specific buildong types, road patterns and civic amenities and services, created by the "ryans in their villages are notable !he incidental needs like negotiations with the terrain, climate, 'hysical defence etc however lead to following )ight standardised road patterns handed out by "ryans, /( 4andaka #( 0arvatobhadra 2( Nandyavarta 7( 'admaka 9( 0wastika <( 'rastara =( 3armuka >( Chaturmukha

9(

IN4I"N "5C6I!)C!U5) N&!)0 #$$78$9 V"I06":I :"!3"5