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

FOREWORD The Kalāmūlaśāstra series of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is aimed at bringing to light the primary textual source material hitherto unknown, unpublished or inaccessible both in original language as also in translation. Under the aegis of this ongoing and long term research programme, the publication of the fundamental texts of Indian arts is undertaken along with annotations and translations. The critical edition of each text is prepared on the basis of several manuscripts, those being collated, transcribed, etc. along with the commentary of the source material, if any. So far in this series, along with other works on different aspects of Indian arts, three seminal works on Indian architecture have been brought to light, namely, Mayamatam (edited and translated by Bruno Dagens), Śilparatnakośa of Śthāpaka Nirañjana Mahāpātra (edited and translated by Bettina Baumer and Rajendra Prasad Dash) and Śilpa Prakāśa of Rāmacandra Mahāpātra Kaula Bhaṭṭāraka (edited and translated by Bettina Baumer, Rajendra Prasad Das and Sadanana Das). The present volume titled the Vāstumaṇḍana of Sūtradhāra Maṇḍana is another value addition and it is a matter of immense pleasure for us at IGNCA to publish this significant work on medieval Indian architecture from western India under the Kalāmūlaśāstra series. Sūtradhāra Maṇḍana is believed to be the chief architect of Mahārāṇa of Kumbhalgarh and his fundamental writings were used as manuals by the practicing architects. Thus the Vāstumaṇḍana is a critical landmark in the development of Indian architecture. Dr. (Smt.) Anasuya Bhowmick is a noted modern scholar and is an authority in the field of Indian architecture. She has painstakingly prepared the critical edition by surveying all the available manuscript material and has given a suitable English translation to it. She has also given various indices, charts and illustrations to make the concepts embedded in the text more intelligible to readers. The edition paves the way for a better comprehension of Indian architecture. This publication is another example of Dr. (Smt.) Anasuya Bhowmick's scholarly contribution to the field of Indian architecture in particular and to Indian Arts in general. Dr. Sudhir Lall of the Kalākośa division is the managing editor of this volume, who contributed tirelessly, in bringing the output submitted by Dr. (Smt.) Bhowmick to the stage of publication.