The ancient and medieval architecture of India: a study of Indo-Aryan civilisation

8 THE VILLAGE SITE

notyet improved upon the principles

of the planning of the

garden
cities of

India based upon the Indian

village plan as

a

unit.

Forchoosingthesite of a

village,the Minasira

declares

thatacareful examinationof its position and

soil is first ne-

cessary. Thebestsite isthatwhichslopes

towards the east,

so as

to get the

full benefit of the first

rays of the morning

sun: thosewhohavecultivated an

Indian garden will

appre-

ciate the truth of this axiom. It

should be near a

stream

runningfromleftto right—the

auspicious direction inwhich

the sunmoves acrossthe sky—

and the well-digger shouldbe

abletofindwater atadepthof

aboutsevenfeet.'

Thesoil mustbetested by

itscolour,smell,taste,appear-

ance, andfeel. Fourdifferent

qualities were recognised—the

firstwould

befirm, ofan

agreeableodour,suitableforgrowing

variouskindsof shadeand

fruittrees, vegetables andflowers.

Sites

to be avoided

were those inclined to the intermediate

points, as N.E., N.W.; stony ground; that in which human

graves,disusedwells, caves, or refuseofanykindwerefound.

Aroughpracticalmeansoftestingthesoilforthe founda-

tionswastodigapitonehastain depth, and thenreturnthe

excavatedsoil intoit. Astablefoundationwould be indicated

bythesoilat thetop being higherthan itwas before

;

an in-

different one, ifit were of the same level

;

a bad one, which

must onno accountbeused,ifthe surfacewere lower.

When the site had been determined, the ground

was

ploughed over. Apairofoxen, ofequalsizeandofthe

same

colour,strongandwithoutblemish,waschosenforthepurpose.

Iftheywereto be found, oxen with white spots on the head

andkneeswere particularly

auspicious.

Theywere decorated

with gay

trappings, and gold or silver rings

were placed

on

^

It

maybepresumedthatthetimeoftheyearwould

be

during

themonsoonorin

thecold

season.