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

THE

ASSEMBLY-HALL ii

Fortune

;

this beingthepath bywhichthevillagepriestswent

daily in
performance of the rite
ofpradakshind, or circum-

ambulation. Mangala
has also a secondary meaning as an

epithetof
Karttikeya, the godofwar. In thissensethe name

refers

to the use made of the road by the village or town

sentinelswhosewatchfulness

ensuredthe

safety ofits inhabit-

ants fromhostileattacks.

The

centre of thevillage, at the intersection

of the two

mainstreets (fig.

2),

wasthe recognised meeting-place forthe

CouncilofElderswhichregulated local affairs. Abanyan>or

a pipal tree planted on a mound sufficed for the mote-house

or assembly-hall, except

when

the village was a large one,

and

could

afford apillaredmandapam, ora

pavilionofwood,

brick, or stone.

In this ancientAryanvillagecustomonecan

tracetheroot

of theideaoftheBodhitree, or Tree of Knowledge
;

for the

tree of

thevillage elders

must

have been associated

with the

wisdom

of

sageslongbefore the

forest tree becamethe

place

ofmeditationfortheyogiwhosought

spiritualenlightenment.

A

symbolic or mystic meaning also

attached itself to the

Council tree
;

for, plantedatthecentre of the

cosmiccross, it

was theTreeofVishnu—thesunat

noonandthe

all-pervading

cosmic force. It stood forthe

mystic tree of

which the sun

and

moonand starswere fruits andthe

bluevault of

heaven

the foliage.

In a small village the

Council tree, or Tree

of

Justice,

wouldgivesufficientshelterforthe

generalmeetingofthe

house-

holders,whoformed

the Parliamentofthe

Indo-Aryan village.

They had the power of

nominating all

the Ministers—the

Councilof

Five—exceptthe

headman,whose

officewas heredi-

tary, butwhocould

be deposed by the

Rija, the head of

the

-clan,

in case ofanygrievous

offence

against the laws of the

Aryancommunity.

In larger

villagesand

towns the meeting-