The word sütradhära occurs in a number of ancient Indian epigraphical records. It has proved to be most enigmatic, for it is difficult to translate with precision. Consequently there does not seem to be a general agreement among scholars about its exact meaning. The word also occurs in various Šilpaáastra texts but no translation is satisfactory. From the evidence furnished by inscriptions, it appears that the Sütradhära was an important artisan but surprisinlgy enough the evidence from Šilpašastra texts runs counter to the epigraphical evidence. While the position and the duties of a sütradhära together with the qualifications required have been prescribed in great detail in the texts on ancient Indian architecture, the term has often enough been employed in inscriptions to denote something altogether different. In the present note, therefore, it has been proposed to examine the available evidence of inscriptions and literature and to determine the exact meaning of the word sütradhära and find out his exact position in the hierarchy of artists. We shall first examine the evidence from texts dealing with ancient Indian architecture. In the Mãnasãra? artists are first divided into four categories. Together they form the guild of artists, each expert in his own department, but possessing a general knowledge of the science of architecture as a whole. They consist of the chief architect ( sthapati ), the draughtsman or the chief designer ( sütragrähin ), the painter ( vardhalci ) and the joiner ( sütradhära ). The Mãnasãra further states that the chief architect - sthapati - is expected to be well versed in all the sciences. He must possess a knowledge of all the Vedas and all the Castras. A similar qualification is demanded of each of the other three artists, but the sütragrähin is expected to possess an expert knowledge of draughtsmanship, the vardhalci of painting and the sütradhära of carpentry.
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