AYODHYA TEMPLE CONSTRUCTION: A SANDSTONE MARVEL
About Temple’s Construction Techniques:
- No iron or steel; entirely constructed with Bansi Paharpur sandstones.
- Traditional Nagara style; three floors, 392 pillars, 44 gates; 20 feet high.
- Overcame unsuitable ground with an “artificial foundation.”
- Rectangular percota periphery, spanning 732 meters.
- Revitalized an ancient Shiva temple on Kuber Tila.
- 70% complex dedicated to green area; preserves nearly 600 trees.
Source: Science Notes
Note: Sandstone is a type of Sedimentary rock.
About Sedimentary Rocks
· Term ‘sedimentary’ from Latin sedimentum, meaning settling. · Earth’s surface rocks broken by denudational agents into fragments. · Fragments are transported, deposited, and undergo lithification to form rocks. · Lithification preserves characteristics in many sedimentary rock layers. · Varied layers in rocks like sandstone, shale, maintain their features. Classification of Sedimentary Rocks: · Mechanically Formed: Sandstone, conglomerate, limestone, shale, loess. · Organically Formed: Geyserite, chalk, limestone, coal. · Chemically Formed: Chert, limestone, halite, potash. Key Term Lithification : Lithification is the process by which loose sediment transforms into solid rock through compaction and cementation. This geological process involves the physical and chemical alteration of sedimentary particles. |