ABSTRACT
Whenever the term “architectural heritage” is referred to, most people, including architects, think of a built structure.1 Yet there is another, less well-known element of architectural heritage, one found in literature. In India, this heritage exists in the form of numerous architectural treatises written in Sanskrit and other regional languages many centuries ago.2 These treatises were the architectural and technical resources for traditional structures such as forts, palaces, temples, pavilions, halls, houses, wells, and settlements.3 A study and analysis of these treatises opens up new opportunities for understanding Indian heritage, including World Heritage sites. A study of a heritage site is more comprehensive if these treatises are analyzed with the intent of elucidating the theoretical base that informed the erection of structures and the planning of settlements.
