SYMMETRY, ARCHITECTURAL CULTURE AND THEORY: THE CASE OF HINDU ARCHITECTURAL TEXTS ' SHRUTI/SRUTI ' AND ' SMRITI' IN ' SASTRA PRAMANAM' TRADITION

Abstract

Symmetry is one of the most fundamental and ubiquitous phenomena in architecture and theory. In this article, we investigated Hindu architectural treatises of ancient Vedic literature that conceptualised and described symmetry in the theory of medieval India. The case focused on Shruti/Sruti and Smriti texts based on Sastra pramanam tradition and asked how architectural treatises transmitted the narratives on symmetry through cultural dynamics, wisdom and heritage. The paper revealed that architectural texts approached symmetry in architectural culture knowledge. The narrative supports the idea Shruti/Sruti and Smriti texts created alternative ways of investigating symmetry in architectural historiography and theory beyond the characteristics and problematics of the Western-centric architectural perspective. The discussion claims that architectural culture in medieval India criticises mathematical forms, cultural trends and social relations beyond the symmetry in the built environment. Suggestions were made for Sastra pramanam scriptures were not only sources of the architectural theory but also contributed to aesthetics, mathematics and ethnography in Indian culture.