The Mayamata is a Vastusastra, i.e. a treatise on dwelling, and as such it deals with all the facets of Gods’ and men’s dwellings, from the choice of the site to the iconography of the temple walls. It contains numerous and precise descriptions of villages and towns as well as of the temples, houses, mansions and palaces. It gives indications for the selection of a proper orientation, right dimensions, and of appropriate materials. It intends to be a manual for the architect and a guidebook for the layman. Well-thought-of by traditional architects (sthapati-s) of South India, the treatise is of great interest at a time when technical traditions, in all fields, are being scrutinized for their possible modern application. The present bilingual edition prepared by Dr. Bruno Dagens, contains, critically edited Sanskrit text which is an improvement over the earlier edition by the same scholar and published as No. 40 of publications de I’ Institute Francais d’Indologie, Pondicherry. The English translation, also published earlier, has now been revised with copious notes. The usefulness of the edition has been further enhanced by adding an analytical table of contents and a comprehensive glossary.
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