A Study of Various Aspects of Town Planning of the Vijayanagar Capital 1(1), 2007, 113-124
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ABSTRACT
Preface
"Town planning has both social and economic purpose; socially successful planning
tends to make peoples' lives happier, because it results in a physical environment, which
promotes health, facilitates social intercourse, and has visual attractiveness. A proper spatial
relationship between the communities in a region and the constituent parts of a town,
compactness of development and an efficient arrangement of communication routes - all
result in human activities being carried on more efficiently and less wastefully and thus
increase wealth."
The above statement of L. Hilberseimer (1949) regarding the aims of town planning
is true not only in modern aspects, but also for the towns and cities of historical times. The
rulers kept the similar objectives in consideration in earlier times while setting up a new
capital. From the advent of the human civilization, man attempted to improve his living
conditions at a very slow but steady pace from his primeval way of living to the contemporary
level. Along with this, the evolvement of the villages from an aggregate of huts to the
visited Vijayanagar capital during the reign of various rulers from Nicolo Conti to Cesar
Frederici. These travellers provide us with descriptive details about the capital and its social,
religious and political conditions. For the accuracy of these details regarding the capital with
its buildings, roads, water spots as well as bazaars and gateways, we have to thoroughly
analyze the archaeological as well as epigraphical records.
Mayamatam further mentions that, when town is located in a forested country or
when it contains dwellings for all people, and shops, it is called pura or nagara.
(Kananavanadese vasarvajanavasasankarinam || 25|| Krayavikrayakairyuktam
puramuditam yat tadeva nagaramiti |) (Dagens 1994). We can identify these definitions
of pura and nagara with nomenclature of 'Vijayanagar' and various suburbs like Acyutapura
or Krishnapura.
The ground on which the capital seat of the Vijayanagar kings was built is very
irregular and consequently very little symmetrical pattern can be determined in its town
planning. Therefore, the make up of the different quarters of the city cannot be readily
established. One portion however has been identified as the citadel and within this wall the
imperial buildings were grouped. This citadel must be identical with the seventh fortress
mentioned by the Persian traveler, Abdur Razzaq. He describes the city in following glowing
terms -
"The City of Bidjinagar (Vijayanagar) is such that the pupil of the eye has
never seen alike it … It is built in such a manner that seven citadels and the same
number of walls enclose each other … The seventh fortress is placed in the centre of
the others, and in that is situated the palace of the king." (Sewell 2004)
Razzaq also mentions the cultivated fields, gardens and houses between the first,
second and third fortification walls. But at present it is difficult to identify these walls, but still
cultivated fields exist between the scattered structural remains. Only structures built of solid
masonry survive, notably the compound walls, gateways, tanks, ceremonial and residential
structures related with the king and the nobility. The remnants range from relatively complete
building to assemblage of debris lying on the ground. Houses and other buildings associated
with common population of the city have now vanished from view, since they were constructed
of perishable materials, such as mud, rubble, timber, and thatch and terracotta tiles. In spite
of the incomplete record, the overall town planning of Vijayanagar can still be figured out.
Modern researchers have assigned a term "Urban Core" to that part of the
Vijayanagar, which has the highest density of sacred as well as civil buildings. Some scholars
divide the 'Urban Core' into two separate zones, namely - the Royal Centre and the Sacred
Centre. The same nomenclature of the two zones has been followed in this paper.
We see some prevalent characteristics in various palatial structures like all the palaces
are facing either east or north, each palace or group of palaces is set in a large enclosure of
massive tapering stonewalls, the large palaces have side projections to create a symmetrical
plan with projections and recesses. The floors, both inside and outside the palaces, are of
thick concrete, finely plastered with lime; several coats of plaster, one upon the other, indicate
several renovations. Most of these structures were destroyed by fire, as is clearly evidenced
by the qualities of ash and charcoal, and by the cracked stonework, often found in the
excavations.
The planning of the residential houses was done on the basis of 'Jatis' or 'Varnas',
that is, depending on the various professions. In those times, considerations of productiveness
in corporate life and the principle of the 'Varnasramadharma' developing in a social
stratification of the people in general and of the functionaries of the state, led to a segregation
of the classes following different pursuits.
At present, no physical evidences are available which can help us to understand the
pattern of the layout of the residences of common men. It seems that the domestic dwellings
and private houses must have been that of the poorest description as no trace of them other
then the structures in the ruined bazaars remain.
Sacred Centre
It was located along the southern bank of Tungbhadra River. It was subsequently
divided into four independent quarters, or puras, each dominated by a walled temple complex,
namely -
*Hampi with its Virupaksha temple,
* Krishnapura with Krishna temple,
Roads
While most of the roads have now disappeared, the alignment of structures and
gateways indicate a radial system with the main routes converging on the royal centre.
These roads had a three-fold function: (Shukla 1961)
*They were highways for traffic,
* They demarcated the plots for buildings and constituted a vital limb in town planning,
* They had sanitary value, providing arteries of free ventilation.
A long highway was connecting Tirumladeviammana Pattana (Modern Hospet) with
the capital. Besides many temples, both sides of the roads were adorned with beautiful
mansions. On the both sides of the present-day 'Hampi-Hospet Bus route', there are a few
remnants of old temples and gateways, though now in a deploring state, evoking the grandeur
of the bygone days. Alongside the roads, a number of side streets, lanes and bye lanes were
provided, connecting the main roads and going through the different localities and allocating
places to the necessary articles of daily use.
The major roadways and even some of the pathways of the capital were paved in
stone. Footpaths over the hills and ridges are marked by stairways built by cutting into the
face of the rocks. An undated inscription with c. AD 15th century characters, on a rock
south of the Hemakuta Hills, outside the fort by the side of the steps mentions about Kampana,
who had caused construction of the steps. (Devarakonda Reddy 2000)
traces of fortifications can be seen only at some points. The safeguarding advantages of the
rocky hills of the terrain were capitalized on wherever possible, with lines of straight walls,
running in between ranges to produce an unsymmetrical configuration of fortification for the
urban core. Moats and ditches were provided along with these walls but they are filled up
now. All the surviving walls are built with massive earthworks encased on the outside by a
layer of granite blocks laid one on the top of another without the help of any mortar. The
compound walls of the various enclosures in the Royal Centre survive till now and were built
by almost the same method, the only difference is that they are slightly tapering towards top.
These walls are more preserved as compared to the other structures in Vijayanagar.
A number of gateways, of varying sizes, are located at the various parts of Vijayanagar.
These can be further grouped into two types:
*Gateways built in the fortification walls for defensive purpose, and
* Normal gateways built at various junctions on the roads for the traffic to pass
through.
The first type of gateways followed a somewhat standard pattern. The approaches
to the gateways were through projecting barbican enclosures that created zigzag entryways.
Some of these barbicans were spacious enclosures with service structures, guardrooms, and
shrines, for example, Bhima gateway. The entrance was flanked by massive bastions and
roofed with flat slabs or lotus corbels (Bhima gateway), or supporting an upper chamber
(Tâlârghatta gateway) or in one case, a lofty dome. On heavy-traffic roads, gateways were
built with three entrances, the central one open to vehicles and elephants and either side for
pedestrians. In vehicle-free zones, gates were built with single entrances flanked by high
platforms where fruits and drinks were at the disposal of passerby. (Filliozat 1985)
The other type of gateways were built either at the important junctions at the roads
or the beginning or end of the streets near temples. These were built granite blocks in a
simple way, sometimes as structures with corbels or two-storeyed pavilion type gateway.
Singharada Hebbagilu appears to be the main gateway to the city, for it has an elaborate
arch. Reference to this gate is clearly indicated in an epigraph on a boulder located to the
north of this gate. It is ascribable to the reign of Bukka-I (1356-77 AD). (Sri Vira Bukkrayana
vijayanagarada pattanada mudana singharada hebbagila….) (Nagaraja Rao 1985)
Krishnadeva Raya in his monumental work, Amuktamalyada, observes that the state
should create irrigation facilities and thus help the cause of agriculture. There is reason to
believe that the technique of tank -building and of erecting dams was much advanced and
the science of Hydraulics (Jalasastra) was studied by the professionals during the period.
The unique record of 1369 AD (Epigraphia Indica XIV) refer to the formation of the
Porumâmilla tank, enumerates not only the 12 essentials required to construct an excellent
tank, but also 6 faults in this regard.
Bazaars and Streets
Foreign travelers mention these bazaars as very long and broad. Abdur Razzaq
describes that there were four bazaars situated opposite to one another, near the king's
palace. At the head of each bazaar, there was a lofty arcade and magnificent gallery. In the
town planning of this city, individual ward was set apart for a cast or trade association or
guild of note which possessed autonomy on its own. Both foreign as well as Indian scholars
have used the term 'bazaar' for this avenue. But, 'rathavithi' (in Sanskrit) and rathabidi are
the terms used in inscriptions and in literature. A bazaar is a market place whereas 'rathabidi'
is for religious purpose. So the road was rightly called 'rathavithi' i.e. the Chariot Street.
(Filliozat 2001).
There were bazaars or streets named such as Pan-Supari street or Soolai (Dancing
girls) bazaar, belonging to specific professions. The street opposite to the Virupaksha temple,
called Hampi bazaar still exists with long rows of colonnaded structures on both sides of the
road. Similarly, there is a Krishna bazaar opposite to the Krishna temple, which is now a
References
Acharaya, P.K. 1995. A Dictionary of Hindu Architecture. Manasara Series I.
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