SYMMETRY, ARCHITECTURAL CULTURE AND THEORY: THE CASE OF HINDU ARCHITECTURAL TEXTS 'SHRUTI/ŚRUTI' AND 'SMRITI' IN 'ŚĀSTRA PRAMĀṆAM' TRADITION

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/Śruti and Smriti texts based on Śāstra pramāṇam 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/Śruti 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 Śāstra pramāṇam scriptures were not only sources of the architectural theory but also contributed to aesthetics, mathematics and ethnography in Indian culture.