What Did Ancient Indian Houses Look Like?

Homes in ancient India were laid out to facilitate communal living. Houses usually had exposed back sides which opened into a large courtyard surrounded by several houses. The courtyard represented a common area to be used by the inhabitants of all the homes surrounding it.

The ancient Indian civilization maintained complex bylaws to regulate construction. Higher caste individuals were able to have houses that were multiple stories, whereas lower caste individuals had small single story homes.