The inclusivity of system of measurement of space & proportion in Silpa-Sastras

Abstract

The system of measurement of space and proportion with respect to human being, i.e., anthropometry, have always played a vital role in design; be it architectural design, product design, furniture design or any other design. Any design or product is considered good if it suits the user's anthropometry well. But presently, the system of measurement is fixed irrespective of the user. Through extensive literature study, it has been found that during the ancient and medieval times in India, system of measurement was derived from the user, making every product anthropometrically perfect. The instances of this are found in ancient treatises like Manasara, Mayamatam, Vishwakarma Vastusastram, Samarangana Sutradhara, Visnudharmottara-Purana, etc. On the other hand, in the ancient Rome, architect and military engineer Marcus Vitruvius Pollio in his book De architectura mentioned the perfect man of one size. Following the ideologies of Vitruvius, Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci & Swiss-born French architect Le-Corbusier in the renaissance & modern era respectively also spoke of perfect man of one size. Da Vinci depicted it in his famous artwork The Vitruvian Man and Corbusier in his book Le Modulor. The main objective of this paper is to carry out a comparative study between the Silpa-Sastras & European system of measurement of space with respect to anthropometry. Initial findings suggest that both these systems of space measurement are derived from human dimensions and co-relate. Further, the inclusive approach of Silpa-Sastras, as presented in this paper, made the system of measurement and proportion more holistic in their outlook which could guide the perfect design of any entity for greater mass.