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

xxiv Vāstumaṇḍana
the house. These three types of houses can again be divided into nine (three each)
by dint of permutation combination. Here we find illustration of multi-storied
houses meant for different class of people.
Minimum diameter of a house will be eight hands and it can go up to ten and
half hands similarly. For common people there will be one or two storied house
Eleventh storey is the highest number, which are designed for a king with top and
bottom floor construction.
Each upper floor will be one twelfth part less than the lower one.
Lime powder, limestone, gravel and brick powder were deployed for plastering.
About the shape, the author mentioned that the land could be square or
rectangular, hexagonal or octagonal, round or oval. Thus one could have wide
options for selecting a land.
The book also describes a type of house, known as śālā house. These types of
houses are mentioned in the Purāṇas as well as in some other Vāstu texts such as
Mānasāra, Mayamata, Aparājitapṛchhā, etc. This text discusses the śālā houses very
systematically catering to the need of everybody starting from common man to the
king. One to four śālā houses are meant for common people of four varṇas, and
five to ten śālā houses are meant for king or people of similar category. Here the
author quotes sometimes from Mayamata and Aparājitapṛchhā mentioning that the
width of a śālā house could start from four hands and can go upto twenty to
twenty-four hands. The length will be one and half times of the breadth for a king's
house, but may be more for a religious establishment.
Prescribed measurement and location of the corridor are also mentioned.
Here we find the use of guru and laghu for the design of different types of śālā
houses.
At first a religious establishment known as paṭhaśālā has been described. It is
adorned with latticed window, altar, porticos, specific type of gates, etc. This may
be a double storied building furnished with granary, treasury, kitchen, etc.
While constructing a house, the author places special emphasis upon the
foundation details, walls and pegs. Himself being an architect, he has attached
importance to each and every minute intricacy of a construction and judicious
placing of the components.
In the sixth and eighth chapters we notice elaborate discussion of houses
with different number of śālā. The śālā houses may be of ten varieties, but five to
ten śālā houses are of different types combining the result of one to four śālā
houses.
According to the various position of Prastarachhanda each śālā house has many
sub varieties. For example:- Ekaśālā houses primarily have only sixteen varieties each