वास्तु मण्डन (मण्डन सूत्रधार - गृह, राजप्रासाद, दुर्ग एवं नगर-वास्तु सटीक)

FOREWORD
The Kalāmūlaśāstra series of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA)
is aimed at bringing to light the primary textual source material hitherto unknown,
unpublished or inaccessible both in original language as also in translation. Under
the aegis of this ongoing and long term research programme, the publication of
the fundamental texts of Indian arts is undertaken along with annotations and
translations. The critical edition of each text is prepared on the basis of several
manuscripts, those being collated, transcribed, etc. along with the commentary of
the source material, if any.
So far in this series, along with other works on different aspects of Indian
arts, three seminal works on Indian architecture have been brought to light, namely,
Mayamatam (edited and translated by Bruno Dagens), Śilparatnakośa of Śthāpaka
Nirañjana Mahāpātra (edited and translated by Bettina Baumer and Rajendra Prasad
Dash) and Śilpa Prakāśa of Rāmacandra Mahāpātra Kaula Bhaṭṭāraka (edited and
translated by Bettina Baumer, Rajendra Prasad Das and Sadanana Das). The present
volume titled the Vāstumaṇḍana of Sūtradhāra Maṇḍana is another value addition
and it is a matter of immense pleasure for us at IGNCA to publish this significant
work on medieval Indian architecture from western India under the Kalāmūlaśāstra
series. Sūtradhāra Maṇḍana is believed to be the chief architect of Mahārāṇa of
Kumbhalgarh and his fundamental writings were used as manuals by the practicing
architects. Thus the Vāstumaṇḍana is a critical landmark in the development of
Indian architecture.
Dr. (Smt.) Anasuya Bhowmick is a noted modern scholar and is an authority
in the field of Indian architecture. She has painstakingly prepared the critical edition
by surveying all the available manuscript material and has given a suitable English
translation to it. She has also given various indices, charts and illustrations to
make the concepts embedded in the text more intelligible to readers. The edition
paves the way for a better comprehension of Indian architecture. This publication
is another example of Dr. (Smt.) Anasuya Bhowmick's scholarly contribution to
the field of Indian architecture in particular and to Indian Arts in general. Dr.
Sudhir Lall of the Kalākośa division is the managing editor of this volume, who
contributed tirelessly, in bringing the output submitted by Dr. (Smt.) Bhowmick
to the stage of publication.