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The present work has a special merit of its own. This Shilpa?Shastra with its Oriya commentary is still consulted by the Shilpins of Orissa, where even now a large number of artists can be found. These artists possess numerous palm-leaf manuscripts which deal mainly with the Shilpa principles. It is better to call it Vastu Shastra, because the book deals with the building of Houses, examination of land and so on. The name Shilpa?Shastra has been taken here in a general sense and used to denote the science of building also. It, therefore, falls in the same category with the works like Vastu Vidya and other works. It teaches us the science of Architecture. It seems that in ancient period there was vast mass of literature of Shilpa?Shastra but this branch of learning remained confined to artists, who made Shilpa their profession. This Shilpa Shastra is said to be written by Bauri Maharana, an inhabitant of Orissa. We know very little about him. All the texts of Shilpa Shastra published so far belong mainly to South India, while this work belongs to Orissa and as such is the Shilpa?Shastra of Northern India. It has only five chapters consisting Sanskrit shlokas with Oriya tika. By the publication of this work, one book of Shilpa Shastra is being added. I am sure that this will encourage the scholars in the study of Ancient Indian Architecture.ISBN-8178540851
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