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

H

STANDARD

VILLAGE

PLANS

Theplan(fig.

2)

called

Nandydvarta(the

abodeof

happi-

ness)wasnamedafterthe

mysticfigure

uponwhich

itwas

based

(fig.
3).

Itwas intended to

accommodate

a mixed

population

of different social grades, or

belonging to

different

religious

Fig.2.—VillagePlancalledNandydvarta(correctedfromRamRSz,

PI.XLIV).

sects, e.g. Brahmans of four different schools,

in which case

thevillagehadtheaffix-mangalam,OYpeople

ofthefourvarnas,

whentheaffixwas-puram} Thearrangement

ofthedifferent

1

Mangalam means auspicious, andpuram

a

fort.

Theimplication seems

tobe

that the Brahman villagewas protected

by

itsown

virtue,while the lay

community

defendeditselfbyforceofarms.