Architecture of Manasara (3 Volume Set) 1st Edition  (English, Hardcover, Acharya Prasanna Kumar)

Architecture of Manasara is text with English Translation with critical notes, for the first time by the writer. Except one, all other manuscripts are fragmentary and none contains any commentary, drawings, diagrams or sketches. The buildings of the time, religious, military, or residential, military, or residential, do not appear to exist in their entirely for a ready references. Owing to the defective nature of the text, which has been shown elsewhere, one can hardly be perfectly sure of the interpetation. An elaborate effort, involving great expenditure of time, money, and convenience, was made to get into contact with the socalled traditional builders in the south, in the Orissan countries, in the Indian States of Rajputana, Central India, Gujarat, Bombay, in the Frontier Provinces and in the Hill States, in company with trained and experienced engineers, architects, and interpre ters, in the vain hope of getting some light from salats. These salats are stated to build in accoedance with an ancient tradition which, they claim, to have inherited orally in some cases, but mostly from some fragmentary manuscripts that they have frequently failed to interpret. None knows more clearly than myself what imperfections are to be found in this first attempt at translating such an imperfect text on such highly technical subjects. I owe it, therefore, to the reader to indicate the general method I have closely followed. In the translation of the Text I have endeavored to adhere as closely as possible to the language of the original. It has consistently been my ain to reprodue the bare meaning of the Manasara, and to avoid, as far as can be done, taking liberties with the language in order to bring out meaning other than what the most obvious and ordinary natural interpetation would suggest.