Discuss whether the term “royal centre” is an appropriate description for the part of the city for which it is used.

The Royal Centre was located in the South- Western past of the settlement. There were two types of structures in the Royal Centre – The secular structures and the Religious structures, the religious structure were constructed entirely of stone parts of building the Secular building were made of perishable material.

SECULAR STRUCTURES-

1. There were about thirty buildings which have been identified as Palaces.

2. The largest building has been identified as the Kings Palace. It has two platforms called ‘the audience hall and the Mahanavami Dibba’.

3. There is no definite evidence whether the king actually lived in the so called king’s palace and it is also not clear what the audience hall was used for. The Mahanavami Dibba was probably used to celebrate the festival of Mahanavami or Navratri or Dussehra.

4. One of the most beautiful buildings in the Royal Centre is the “Lotus Mahal”. It may have been a Council Chamber, where the king met his advisors.

5. Another important structure in the Royal Centre was the “Elephant Stable” its architecture shows Indo- Islamic influence. RELIGIOUS STRUCTURES

6. In the Royal Centre there were about 60 temples, the patronage of temples and cults was important for rulers because they were trying to establish and legitimise there authority through association with the divinities housed in the shrines.

7. The most spectacular temple in this area is known as the “Hazara Rama temple”. The images of the central shrine are missing, but the sculpted Ramayana scenes on the inner walls of the shrine have survived. This temple was probably meant to the used only by the king and his family.

8. Thus , the term “Royal Centre” is appropriate for the part o the city for which it is used because it the king’s palace, lotus Mahal, the Elephant stable and the Hazara Ram temple. All these places were for exclusive use by the king and his administrative centre.