Hyderabad: Apart from the historical, cultural, religious, and architecture significance, Ramappa Temple has a special technology feature – the sand-box foundation – which has helped the temple stand up straight for centuries.
Like their successor Qutub Shahis, who mastered the art of seismic resistant structure, Kakatiyas built Ramappa temple to hold the earthquake.
Although not unique to Ramappa Temple, the Sand-Box Foundation stood testimony for the Engineering of the former Telangana ruler.
Kakatiyas was credited with the discovery of floating bricks (bright porous bricks) which lowered the roof load on the foundation and column supporting it.
The sandbox foundation is a foundation type that involves digging the earth at least three meters and then filled with sand.
It was reinforced by gravel and other materials.
Then, large structures are built on sand basis.
Sand acts as a pillow or shock absorber when an earthquake occurs.
Thus, it prevents vibration in the main structure and protects it from falling.
The state government presents the Sand-Box Foundation as a unique technology before the International Council on monuments and sites (ICOMOS).
However, Icomos, in his report disagreed with the State Government’s dispute.
“Icomos considers that light bricks and sandbox foundations are not unique to the Rudreshwara temple and that the extraordinary character of this in terms of their characteristics or conservation conditions has not been supported by a comprehensive comparative analysis,” said ICOMOS report.
The state government now needs to take monument conservation so that the foundation is not affected by heavy rain.
ICOMOS reports, however, said the temple could not be said to be inventive or a save, five-projected, five-story composition of the four-floor composition was basically standard at the end of the 11th century.