The Capital and its Environs

The Capital and its Environs Like most capitals, Vijayanagara, was characterised by a distinctive physical layout and building style. Identify three major zones on the plan. Look at the central part. Can you see channels connecting up with the river? See how many fortification walls you can trace. Was the sacred centre fortified? Fig. . Plan of Vijayanagara Would you find these features in a city today? Why do you think the gardens and water bodies were selected for special mention by Paes? A sprawling city This is an excerpt from Domingo Paes’s description of Vijayanagara: The size of this city I do not write here, because it cannot all be seen from any one spot, but I climbed a hill whence I could see a great part of it; I could not see it all because it lies between several ranges of hills. What I saw from thence seemed to me as large as Rome, and very beautiful to the sight; there are many groves of trees within it, in the gardens of the houses, and many conduits of water which flow into the midst of it, and in places there are lakes; and the king has close to his palace a palm-grove and other rich fruit-bearing trees. Source