This volume entitled Indian Architecture according to Manasara-Silpasastra is the second in the series of Professor P.K. Acharya’s Manasara Series. Here he has discussed exhaustively the question, waht is Manasara? An understanding of this term Manasara is essential; for buildings are the yard-sticks by which the achievements and standards of living of bygone ages can be correctly evaluated. But this term defies elucidation; for it not only embraces all activities connected with the construction of private dwellings, public edifices, forts and other multipurpose structures but also includes other functions like designing chariots, gardens, vehicles, furniture and so on; even town and village planning are not left out. As words, like humans, age their meaning and usage change with time. Consequently, to ascertain their true significance, one has to wade through a mass of literature belonging to different periods. The author has surveyed the whole gamut of Sanskrit literature from the Vedic to the Gupta periods to bring out clearly the various connotations of the word Manasara. He has provided summaries and synopses of extant texts. He has compared the important features of Manasara with those of Vitruvius’ classic for the benefit to those interested in the comparative study of architecture. He has thrown light on the age and language of Manasara. All those interested in Indian architecture shall find this an invaluable time saver; for it encapsulates the information lying scattered in several works.
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