IIT-KGP course to rediscover technique used in making ancient landmarks

The IIT Kharagpur has embarked on a course to rediscover the technique used in building ancient Indian landmarks such as the Dilwara Jain temple or the Kailasa temple of Ellora caves.

Such ancient structures are marvels of architecture built from top to base cutting a single gigantic stone, IIT Kharagpur Director Prof Partha Pratim Chakrabarti told PTI.

"We are amazed to think about the tools used in the construction of structures such as the Dilwara temple or the Kailasa temple," Chakrabarti said.

These structures were built from the top, while modern day architecture talks about elevation from the ground, he said.

"We have to find out the design and implementation technology of these structures. We have to study the symbols dating back to that era," he said.

Construction of the Kailasa temple of Ellora caves in Maharashtra was attributed to 756-773 CE, while the Dilwara Temple in Rajasthan was completed between the 11th and 13th centuries CE.

The IIT-KGP director said the course was part of the SandHI (Scientific Approach to Networking and Designing of Heritage Interfaces) spearheaded by the institute to revisit India's ancient heritage and history.

SandHI is a science-culture initiative to re-visit India's ancient past through the lens of scientific inquiry and already underway in Varanasi.

Classes under the course have started in the IIT-KGP campus, Chakrabarti said.