28, September 2025

The Evolution of Town Planning Through the Ages: Tracing the Impact of Vāstuśāstra (150 BCE to the Modern Era)

VOLUME-8; ISSUE-9; SEPT-2025

Author(s): Dr. Abhijit Mandal

Authors Affiliations:

Assistant Professor, Department of Sanskrit, Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University, Panchanan Nagar, Vivekananda Street, Cooch Behar – 736101, West Bengal, India.

DOIs:10.2018/SS/202509006     |     Paper ID: SS202509006


Abstract
Keywords
Cite this Article/Paper as
References

This article aims to illustrate the evolution of town planning from ancient India to modern times by studying the influence of Vāstuśāstra through a detailed examination of Kautilya's Arthaśāstra (150 - 300 CE),  and Mānasāra-śilpaśāstra (700 CE). ‘Vāstuśāstra’ often translated as 'science of architecture,' encompasses more than just architecture. It refers to everything constructed or built. Man is considered the creator and destroyer of beauty beyond mythological tales. Societies develop and fulfil our desires through continuous changes. Change is inevitable, and with time, our livelihoods and thoughts evolve. In ancient times, kings aimed to build towns larger than villages to accommodate people and trade basically. Today, well-planned cities attract residents due to facilities like schools, hospitals, and transportation. This research uses an interdisciplinary approach, combining historical analysis, architectural studies, and town planning theory to trace Vāstuśāstra's influence on town planning from ancient to modern times. Throughout this paper, the words 'town' and 'nagara' both carry the same meaning.

The present article claims to discuss town planning as conceptualized by Kauṭilya in the Arthaśāstra and by Mānasāra in the Mānasāra-Vāstuśāstra. While these two texts undoubtedly remain foundational in the discourse of ancient Indian urban planning, the title of the article—An Evaluation of Town Planning through the Ages: Tracing Vāstuśāstra's Impact—suggests a broader scope than what is actually provided. An "evaluation" of town planning "through the ages" necessarily implies not only a description of theoretical models but also an exploration of how those models evolved over time, how they were adapted in different historical contexts, and how they were concretely realized in actual urban centers across India.

Vāstuśāstra, Nagara, Janapada, Sthānīya, Pattana.

Dr. Abhijit Mandal (2025); An Evolution of Town Planning Through the Ages: Tracing Vāstuśāstra’s Impact (150 BCE to Modern era), Shikshan Sanshodhan : Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences,      ISSN(o): 2581-6241,  Volume – 8,   Issue –  9.,  Pp.32-40.       Available on –   https://shikshansanshodhan.researchculturesociety.org/

Work Cited:

Primary Reference: 

  1. Bhojadeva. Samarāńgaṇasūtradhāra. Edited by T. Ganapati Sastri, Vol. I, Baroda, Central Library, 1924.
  2. Kautilya. Kauṭilīyam Arthaśāstram. Edited by Manabendu Bandyopadhyay, 4th ed., vol. 1, Kolkata, Sanskrit Pustak Bhandar, 2010.
  3. Mānasāra. Edited by Prasanna Kumar Acharya, Bombay, Oxford University Press, 1933.
  4. Vedavyāsa. Agnipurāṇam. Edited by Pañcānan Tarkaratna, 2nd ed., Kolkata, Nava Bharat Publishers, 1999.
  5. Viśvakarmaprakāśa. Edited by Abhaya Katyana, Varanasi, Chaukhamba Surabharati Prakashana, 1999.
  6. Viṣṇugupta. Kauṭilīyamarthaśāstraṃ (with the commentaries of Śrīmūlā, Cāṇkyaṭīkā, Pratiadapañcikā & Nītinirṇīti). Edited by Viśvanātha Dātāra, vol. 2, Varanasi, Sampurnananda Sanskrit University, 1991.

Secondary Reference:

  1. Acharya, Prasanna Kumar. Indian Architecture according to Mānasāra-Śilpaśāstra. Bombay, Oxford University Press, 1934.
  2. Anon. “Permeability and Infiltration.” Soil Health Nexus, 2019, soilhealthnexus.org/resources/soil-properties/soil-physical-properties/soil-permeability-and-infiltration/.
  3. Elhakim, Amr F. “Estimation of Soil Permeability.” Alexandria Engineering Journal, vol. 55, no. 3, 1 Sept. 2016, pp. 2631–2638, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110016816302083, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aej.2016.07.034.
  4. Kalluraya, Shripathi. “The Indian Ancient Architecture and Town Planning.” Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), vol. 1, no. 1, 25 May 2023, www.academia.edu/112087752/The_Indian_Ancient_Architecture_And_Town_Planning?uc-sb-sw=105560634. Accessed 17 Mar. 2024.
  5. Kangle, R.P. The Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra, Part – II, Delhi, Motilal Banarsidas Publishers Private Limited, 1972.
  6. Khan, Mohd Afzal. “Mānasāra’s Eight Types of Plans for Designing Towns.” RTF | Rethinking the Future, 12 Jan. 2023, www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/architectural-community/a8961-manasaras-eight-types-of-plans-for-designing-towns/. Accessed 17 Mar. 2024.
  7. Sen Sarma, Sunil. Kautilīya’s Arthaśāstram : In the Light of Modern Science and Technology. New Delhi, D. K. Print world, 2001.
  8. Unknown. “Town Planning Concepts in Mānasāra Vāstu Śāstra.” SOCIO-GATHERERS, 30 Apr. 2020, sociogatherers.wordpress.com/2020/04/30/town-planning-concepts-in-manasara-vastu-sastra/.

Download Full Paper

Download PDF No. of Downloads:21 | No. of Views: 16