Abstract:
The planning of the door is a key factor in vāstuśāstra. Generally, the door is established in
order to provide adequate ventilation inside the building. Techniques with reference to door
planning are expounded considerably in each Sanskrit vāstuśāstra text. Different types of
techniques that are employed for door planning even today in Sri Lanka are based on primary
Sanskrit texts such as Viçvakarmaprakäça - västuratnävali - Mayamata. However, many
architects who consult house construction only have the conventional knowledge. Architects
who maintain the traditional adeptness cannot go through the primary Sanskrit texts due to lack
of acquaintance of Sanskrit. On the other hand, it is apparent that house construction in Sri
Lanka has been critically revolutionized due to the various invasions. Accordingly, in Sri Lanka
it is not practiced in the perfect way of planning the door which has resulted in enormous
dilemmas. Number, place and direction are central points of door planning. Importance should
be given to the variables of païcabhüta and the four main directions when the door is planned.
It is believed that door planning facing to the western direction procreates bad effects. However,
this is entirely a devious aspect in the track of the techniques in primary sources. The main door
that can be planned in each main direction has the foremost identity. Vital dimensions such as
length and width in addition to the distinctive characteristics of the main door are discussed in
vāstuśāstra texts. In this paper the attempt is made to get to the bottom of this problem on the
basis of primarytexts.
