Conservation of sandstone monuments at Kanchipuram Tamilnadu India

Abstract

India has a rich architectural heritage spanning 2000 years and there are numerous monuments spread across the length and breadth of the country The geological diversity of the nation provided different materials for the construction of these monuments stone being a prime building material from ancient times todate Much of the architectural heritage in the country is religious in nature and most of the temples in the state of Tamilnadu are constructed out of granite But the earliest temples which laid the basis for the South Indian Dravidian style were built out of sandstone by the Pallava rulers during 674A D 800 A D The conservation of most monuments is under the purview of the Archaeological Survey of India a central government organization and one of the premier institutions in protecting monuments in India However their work in this area is hampered because of the lack of a strong data base and research in the area of architectural conservation The area of this doctoral work is limited to the conservation of sandstone temples built between 674 A D and 800 A D in Kanchipuram town Kanchipuram district Tamilnadu India with specific reference to material conservation These sandstone temples are declared as protected monuments by the ASI because of their historical and aesthetic value and they are six in number