Canons of Orissan Architecture

This book is a treatise on the Canons of the Orissan Architecture which have been secured and studied with the help of local craftsmen. This work presents a workable restoration of the science of architecture in Orissa. A number of scholars have been led into an examination of the Canons of Indian Architecture, the existence of which had been known for a long time. They have been able in restoring the text of several manuscripts, which are very rare due to the fact that the master builders and ancient architects of ancient India transmitted most of their technical knowledge to pupils by word of mouth. The details were left to the practical training. The craftsmen (silpins) therefore only recorded such information as they were likely to forget. Thus the profound penetration necessary for this task is very rare. The manuscripts that were under taken for the study of the present work are different recessions of a treatise on architecture named Bhubanupradipa. No evidence regarding the age of the manuscript is available, but it is certain that the tradition recorded in them has been handed down from very ancient times. The present work should prove invaluable to the architects, historians, archaeologist and general scholars alike in the light of the fact that such rare material is available on Canons of Indian Architecture in general and Orissa in particular.