But modern Specialist doctors say

“Go, try this, it may work”

Family doctors of last century used to

say

“Go, use this, It will work”

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Sushruta says “Cancer is not a disease,

cancer cells are present in every human

body”

Modern doctors say “Diabetes cannot be

cured, it can be only controlled”

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But modern buildings, after 100 years, are

declared UNSAFE.

Same is true for Engineering.

Ancient Temples, Palaces, Forts etc were

constructed to last for 1000 years,

What is the secret of endurance of our heritage structures?

By A.S. Nene

Professor of Civil Engineering (Retd),

VNIT Nagpur

nene_ashok@yahoo.com

Ancient Indian engineering philosophy,

comprise of ten sciences, thirty-two

techniques and sixty-four skills of

engineering. All these sciences are

interlinked in one way or other. Hence one

can find hundreds of references of botany

related to engineering.

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Many ancient texts, describes engineering

applications of various components

(Panchanga) of trees, plants, and creepers .

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The Engineering applications of botany can

be grouped under following heads.

1. Adobe construction- brick earths, mud plasters,

pottery , mud floorings etc.

2. Tempering of steel implements

3. Water purification.

4. Rainfall predictions.

5. Gold plating of copper and silver

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6. Crack detection by herbal paints.

7. Adamantine Glue.

8. Lime Mortars and lime plasters

9. Basic colors and pigments.

10.Herbal paste for water divining.

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Chemical soil stabilization includes soil

selection, treatment with organic additives.

Such soil is used for brick earth, mud

walls, plastering, and outer coat of idols,

pottery, base coat of cave paintings and

other purposes.

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Functions of soil plasticizers are; to increase 1. workability with optimum water content

2. water repellent property

3. strength by increasing the density

Soil plasticizers

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Soil plasticizers can be grouped as

•Flowers: Palash, Shalmali

•Fruits : Trifala1Wood apple2, Holy tree

fruit3

•Barks: Khadir4, Arjun trees

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1-Extracts of

2-Natural fibers

Cotton, coir, wool, silk cotton , jute, spider’ web etc.

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3-Natural polymers

Cow Dung, Jaggery, Coconut water, Eggs,

Green Algae, rice husk, burnt coconut shell

etc.

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1a Bricks and Roofing tiles

Shukla Yajurvedhita (3000 BC) mentions

methods of preparation bricks and a

special type of pot (Ukha). The soil is

stabilized by adding hairs of goat, fine

sand, iron slag and stone dust.

Shatapatha Brahman (2500 BC) mentions

use of sand, stone dust and iron slag for

soil stabilization.

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Trifala (three fruits-Aamla, Hirda and Behda)

are boiled in water till the solution is reduced

to one fourth of original volume. This

decoction is called Trifala-Kashaya. (Ref.

Shilparatna).

The suitable soil is mixed with Trifala-

Kashaya. The soil is kneaded for a long period.

The soil such prepared was used for plastering

of walls.

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Vastu Vidya describes the soil preparation

as below,

•Add extracts of barks of milky trees,

knead for one to ten days

•Add extracts of barks of Shirish tree,

knead for one to ten days

•Add decoction (Kashaya), knead for 3 to

30 days 17 ISC-2015 Mumbai

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13th Centuary Floating Bricks of Ter and Dhoki Villiage

On Kurduwadi Latur Road, Maharashtra.

(Supposed to be made by Saint Gora Kumbhar)

• Sizes in mm : 100 x 75 x 62.5 Min to 300 x 150 x 75. • Weight in kg: 0.75 min to 3.15 Max. • Density ratio (Std Brick/ Ter brick): 1.88 to 2.37 • Floating period prior to sinking in water : 4 to 40 hours . • Probable Ingredients: Rice Husk creating partially interconnected pores.

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Brick Floating on Water

1b-Clay idols

Additives- milk, yogurt, ghee , stone dust; iron slag . Decoctions made from barks of Khadir or Arjun trees ,oil, resinous exudation of Sal tree, grass of kundru plant. Ref. Tantrasamuchhyaya,Sakaladhikar and Vastu Vidya

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Suitable soil (white, red or yellow) is mixed with cow’s milk, linseed oil, floor of wheat and barley. A decoction is prepared by boiling barks of Kshir and bakul in water Clay balls are prepared and allowed to dry. Further lime and gum is added to dry pulverized clay balls are allowed to mature for on month. Lime in 1:2 parts is added and the mixer is used for coating the idols.

Aparajitprichha (1200-1300 AD)

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1c-Foundry soils for metal casting

The Dhokra Technique of Metal casting developed by tribes of Bastar

1. The first layer, the closest to the wax sculpture, is the river bed soil, water and coal powder applied with brush.

2. A paste of red soil with rice husk is applied to

first dry solidified layer This is applied with hands.

3.A final coating of rice husk, sand and clay is applied to the entire surface of the piece.

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Floors are made from poured and trowelled mud mixed

with Isabgol (psyllium hulls).

The mud is easy to work and acts as a binder when the

floor dries.

It reduces cracking and increases strength.

1d-Adobe floors

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1d-Light weight wood

For seats of air balloons wood of certain

trees (Palash) are specified.- Ref.

Agastsamhita.

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1f- Earthen pots

Mix floor of Satu, powder of Amaksh

,Tatwasi and coconut water to clay in a

proportion of 8 parts of clay and 1 part

of admixtures. Ref. Shilparatna 1.14.48

1g. Ceramic pots

Prepare a mixture of Shraveshat,Guggul and

Kunda grass (one eleventh of clay) and curd .

Apply this mixture to clay pot before baking in a

furnace. Ref. Shilparatna 2.19.11

1h- Glazing of earthen pots

Apply a mixture of milk ghee, honey

and Herb powder (churni, Pipli,Marichi

and Rasani ) to clay pots. This process

imparts glazing to the ceramic pots.

Ref. Shilparatna 1.14.15

1i- Coloring of Clay pots

Mix sesame powder and resins of Kapittha and

Beal trees. Add desired coloring agent

(Kushta, Red ochure, orpiment etc). Polish the

pot with the mixture to impart suitable color.

Ref. Shilparatna 1.14.16

2a-Tempering or hardening of tools

1. Heating the tool in fire until it becomes red hot.

2. Application of paste of certain materials (excreta of

pigeon and rat, powder of horns of a buffalo and

milk extract of a Mandar plant) OR dipping the

red-hot tool in Solution of buttermilk and ash of

banana plant.

3. Sharpening the tools. Ref.Brihatsamhia ch.54

Ref. Brihat Samhita

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2b-Breaking of stone blocks

Heating: The stone block is heated by make a

pyre of wooden logs of Palash or Tinduk trees.

The heating is continued till the color of wooden

logs becomes bright red or orange.

Cooling: The fire is moved to adjacent area of

rock surface. The preheated surface is cooled

down quickly by pouring certain types of liquids

listed below.

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•Solution of quick lime in cold water

•Solution prepared by mixing buttermilk

with rice paste, ripe berries.

•Solution prepared by boiling Neem leaves

and some tree barks. Ref. Brihat Samhita

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• Powder of Nirmali seeds is used to remove the turbidity of

water,

roots of Khus plant to give pleasant smell to drinking water

certain seeds to kill the bacteria present in the water. Ref.BS

Ch.54

• Use of Basil or Bilva leaf was known for increasing shelf life

water.

• Core of Jamun tree wood acts as algaecide, it destroys the

algae in 24 hours.

• Seeds of drumstick tree also act as coagulant for turbidity

removal. Ref.Pade

3-Water Purification:

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33 ISC-2015 Mumbai

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Abhilashartha ChintamaNi

Period 1124-1127 A.D.

Editor King Somadev

Aim Raw water purification Ingredients Khus, Chandan, pippali, Nagarmotha ,

cardamom, and Multani Mitti for cover

Process Mix all ingredients and encapsulate in Multani

Miiti dove. Prepare peanut size pallets.

Calcinate at 600 deg.

Use One palette per 5 litres of water

Experimental

Results

(VNIT )

DO increase: 5 to 11, COD increase:51 to

220 , MPN decrease :2400 to 14

Process patented by Dr.Deopujari &

Dr.Mandavgane, 2011.

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Ancient text Kadambini mentions certain precursors of rainfall. It mentions flowering of certain trees can be linked to onset of rainy season.

4-Rainfall prediction

Rainy season starts 45 days after Amaltash flowers bloom

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“Vanaushadhi GunAdarsh” mentions that “if juice of

Palash flowers 1, treated with sulfur, is rubbed on

copper surface, the surface shines as gold”.

Similarly, decoction of mixture of flowers juice and

Hartal 2(Orpiment) is used to make silver like lead

metal. Ref. Pade,Abhilisharth ChintamaNi

5-Gold / Silver plating of copper

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The juice of coreless trees contains water retarding

substances (lac) and hence the juice was used in

preparing silk cloth gas holders in ancient India.

Air balloons

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Waterproof cloth for hot air balloons

Apply three coats of decoction of barks of trees

(Umber, Kadamb, Mango , Hirda and Behda) to

the cloth. Then apply three coats of black gram

paste Soak the cloth in solution of sugar and

powders sea shells. Allow the cloth to dry to

make it water tight. Ref.Agasthya Samhita

Wood Varnish

Extract of barks of milky trees

(Vat,Pipal,Umber, Beal and cedar trees) is

mixed in water. Mixture is boiled. sealing wax,

Jatuling, oil and Hingul is added. Such varnish is

applied to wood for polishing and preservation.

Ref. Shilparatna 1.14

Preservation of Ropes

Soak the freshly woven rope in coconut oil mixed with ripe bananas and hide glue. Ref. Shilparatna 2.18.12

6-Detection Of Defects In Rocks

Microscopic defects in stones , which were

invisible to eyes, were detected by applying

some herbal paints so that the defects were

clearly visible. Ref. Shilparatna 1.14.33-36

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Herbal paints for stone softening

•Mix powder atis root 1, Hiracus 2 and red ochre 3 in milk. Apply this paint to the stone and keep it overnight. OR •Grind Jatamasi 4,Koshta, Gayaratri Hirkus and chor in milk add coconut water. Apply the solution to the stone. OR •Grind and mix Jatamasi,Rog and Aswamari 5 in rain water. Apply the solution to the stone.

red ochre atis root Hiracus

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Ashwamari Jatamasi

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In ancient India different materials for

mortar and plaster were used. Texts such as

Vishnudharmottar Puran, Samarangan

Sutradhar, Aparajitpruccha, Abhilisharth

Chintamani and Brihat Samhita mention such

materials.

Desired

Properties

Ingredients

a)Hardness Kaitha, Belgiri, Linseed, Urad

dal,Mahuva flowers, powder of

cattle horns , Cow dung, Neem

seeds etc

b) bond and

adhesion

Belgiri, tree resins (Deodar, Pine

or Sal), Lac etc

c)

reinforcement

Cotton fibers, Silk cotton,

Coconut husk, barks of trees

etc.

1-Vishnudharmottar Puran

Period: 4th to 5th Century A.D.

Editor: Khemraj Shrikrushanadas

Support: Stone masonry

Plaster: Brick powder and Mud

Ingredients

: Surkhi, Guggul, Bee wax, Mahua

flowers,Jaggery, saaf flower oil,

lime ,belgiri, Bark of Pakar, Neem

2-Samarangan Sutradhar

Period: 10th Century A.D.

Editor: King Bhoja

Support: Stone masonry

Plaster: Mud plaster

Ingredients: Sand, Clay, Juice of

cactus, Petha,

Kharmarjiri, Sugar cane,

Milk, Fruits of Shisam,

Arjun, Belgiri pulp

3-Aparajitpruccha

PeriodL 11th Centuary A.D.

Editor: Shri Bhuvan Dev

Support: Stone masonry

Plaster: Mud plaster

Ingredients: Chalk, Geru, Yellow

ochre, Linsed, Barlry,

Wheat flour, Barks of

milky trees, Milk, flowers

of Mohuva

4-Abhilisharth Chintamani

Period: 12th Century A.D.

Editor: King Somadev

Support: Stone masonry

Plaster: Lime plaster

Ingredients: Chalk, powder of

shells, Gud, Glue

ISC-2015 Mumbai 52

5-Brihatsamhita

Period : 5th Centuary A.D.

Editor : Varahmihir

Support : Stone masonry

Plaster :

Ingredien

ts:

Decoction (of Unripe fruits of

Tinduka and Kapittaka, Flowers of

silk cotton , Seeds of Sallaki) and

barks of Dhanavana and Vacha and

Shrivasaka, Raktabola (myrrh),

Guggulu , Bhallataka , Kunduruka

Atasi resin , Bilva tree fruit

6-Shilparatnakar

Year: 1939 A.D.

Editor : Sompura N.M

Support : Stone masonary

Plaster

Ingredients :

Unripe fruits of Tinduka and

Kapittaka , flowers of silk

cotton, seeds of Sallaki ,barks

of Dhanavana and Vaca .

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7- Mayamatam

Period : 7 th Centuary

Editor : Sage Maya

Support : Stone masonary

Plaster

Ingredients:

Lac , Kunduru, soot (lamp black),

Guggulu, wood-apple, Manjiostha

resin, Bilva fruit kernel, fruits of

Naga, neem,Tinduka , Madana ,

Madhuka, myrrh and Ambalaka.

Preparing the mixture is a 41-day long

procedure and the eight ingredients are

# From the Bharatapuzha a river in Kerala, India

1-Finely powdered conch,2-gall-nut (Myphal)

3-sealing wax ,4-Fruits of gooseberry

5-Resin of pinus damar,6-Cotton fibers

7-Medium sizes gravels #

8-Small sizes gravels #

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Mixture is hammered by four or five men

alternatively. During this process one turns it

with an iron spatula. For hammering, only

wooden hammers made of tamarind wood are

used. The weight of the hammer would be 8

to 10 kilos.

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The lump is very soft and malleable. It

becomes hot during the hammering and

becomes hard like stone when the

hammering is stopped. An estimated 0.1

million hits of hammering are needed for a

kilogram of adhesive.

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Hide Glue

Hide glue (Sirus or Shirus) is prepared from fresh

skin of a buffalo cooked in water till it becomes soft

as butter. Water is allowed to evaporate. The material

is cut into small pieces are dried in sunlight. When

needed the dried piece is boiled in water. This is a

substitute for resins of tree. This glue is called

Vajralep .

ISC-2015 Mumbai 59

Shilparatna (Part 1 and 2) mentions

different techniques for lime

mortars.Many natural polymers are

mentioned in this text.

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Ingredient for Lime mortar & plasters

1 Ash 9 Cow dung 17 Mahuwa flowers

2 Bark of Neem 10 Egg white 18 Milk, curd or ghee

3 Bark of Pakar tree 11 Flowers Silk cotton tree 19 Mustard cake

4 Bee wax 12 Green gram (Moog) 20 oil

5 Belgiri (aegle'pulp) 13 Guggul 21 Powder of Cattle

horn

6 Black gram(Udad ) 14 Hemp fiber 22 Resin of Sal tree

7 Brick powder 15 Jaggery 23 Rice husk

8 Clay 16 Juice of Cactus 24 Saaf flower oil

Natural Polymers

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a-Lime Mortar

Grind ripe bananas, fibers of cotton

and pulp of cactus and mix in slaked

lime to make a good quality lime

mortar. Alternatively add decoction of

barks of trees (Pipal.Amla,Kadamb)

and paste of black gram to the slaked

lime. Ref.Shilparatna 1.14.60

b-Sudha - Molding Lime for sculpturing

Lime prepared by burning conches (Shankha) or

oysters (Shipi) is called Sudha. Fine sand, decoction

of moog, jiggery water and Banana powder is added

to lime.

The recommended proportions are, Lime - 4 parts,

Fine sand- 2 parts, Banana powder – 1 part and

jiggery -1 part. All ingredients are mixed by rolling

again and again. Ref.Shilparatna 1.14.68-69

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c-Sunla

Curd, milk, black gram paste, gud,

ghee, ripe bananas, coconut and

mango pulp are added to slake

lime. Plaster made of these

materials is non-shrinking .

Ref.Shilparatna 1.14.70

8d-Waterproof lime mortar

Mix Ghee, coconut water, black gram

paste , extract of barks(Pipal), milk,

curd, decoction of Trifala, and

Pichhit, in proportion of

3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 and 11 parts to 100

parts of slaked lime. Ref.Shilparatna

1.14.70

8e-Base coat for Cave Paintings

Caves Constituents of plaster

Ajanta caves Clay, cow dung, stone powder, rice

husk and lime.

Sirgirea caves Tempered kaolin clay, rice husk,

Coconut shell fibers and lime.

Bagh caves Red clay, green gram, lime and

jute.

Mansoullas recommends use of powder of conchs,

katha, pulses, molasses, and boiled bananas.

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8f- Leveling coat of lime plaster

Mix 3 parts of slaked lime and 1

part of powder of dry raw banana.

Add water to make butter like

mixture. Such leveling coat gives

marble finish to the wall surface.

To enhance the aesthetics of any structure.

To improve the durability .

•Vishnudharmottara Purana

•Chitrasutra

•Manosollas

Related ancient Indian texts

The main purpose of colors and paints

Colors and Paints

Basic Colors

White, yellow, red, black and blue

are five basic (pure) colors. All other

composite colors are made from

these colors. Ref. Vishnudharmottar

PuraN, Ch.27

White color - White color is prepared from lime

made of shells or mother of pearls or from white clay

(pottery clay-Kaolin). White color is prepared by

mixing resins of Neem or wood apple tree with white

soil or lime. The mixture is pulverized and dissolved

in hot water.

Yellow color - Yellow color is prepared from

pounding yellow wood trees (Haridru) and

yellow soil (from hills or river banks) together.

The mixture is poured in clear water for two

hours. The top yellow solution is stored in

earth pot till it dries. The dry powder is used

for preparing yellow color.

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Red color - Red color is prepared from Sindur

(Vermilion), Gaierik (Red ochre), Hingul (Cinnabar) or

Laksharus (Shellac) to get light, medium, dark and very

dark shades respectively. Red ochre is finely

pulverized and sieved through a muslin cloth. The

powder is cleaned by mixing with water. Vermillion is

mixed in water and stirred for 12 hours. All these

colors are mixed with resin of Neem.

Black color -Oil lamp is ignited in a mud pot. Inner surface

of another mud pot is smeared with powder of dry cow

dung. This pot is place on the first pot such that lamp black

is coated inside the top pot. The lamp black is cleaned with

water before application.

Blue color - Blue color is prepared by drying a mixture of

blue minerals or indigo and resin of wood apple.

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Golden color - Golden color is prepared from

gold foil pulverized with fine sand. The mixture

is poured in water and top suspension is

separated and mixed with adamantine glue. The

painted surface is polished with horn (of an ox

or wild boar).

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Organic Colors for Textile printing

Select wood of suitable colors from

forest. Crush into clean water.

Filter the mixture. Again crush the

filtered wood particles and repeat

the procedure and store the liquid

color in an earthen pot.

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Dowsing is a method to locate

underground water sources. This

technique includes use of pendulums,

Y shaped tree branch.

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Water Diviner

A person born as Breach child

person possesses some magnetic

powers which are useful for water

dowsing.

But dowsing can be done by any

person with the help of herbs

mentioned in ancient Indian text

Mantrashashtra.

A herbal paste is prepared by

grinding eleven types of seeds or

roots in cow’s urine. Such paste is

applied to the feet of a person.

This paste helps in locating

underground water. 79 ISC-2015 Mumbai

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81 Tree/Plant/Creeper roots of 9 types

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Seeds of 2 trees

Table - Constituents of this herbal paste

Sanskrit Name English/ Latin Sanskrit Name English/ Latin

1 viû Marking nut Tree

Prosopis cineraria 2 kae:aatkI Wild ribbed gourd

Luffa operculata

3 v¿I SnuhI Holy Milk Hedge

Euphorbia neriifolia

Linn

4 ñetakR White_variety of

Madar plant

Calotropis_gigantea

5 igirki[Rka Butterfly pea

Clitoria ternatea 6 vca Vacha

Calamus -root

7 paQa Patha creeper

False pareira brava 8 inRgufI Nirgundi

Vitex negundo

9 kqutuMb Bitter Pumpkin

lagenaria

siceraria

10 inMb Lemon

Citrus × limon

11 kezr nagkezr Mesua Ferrea 12 gaemuÇ Cow’s Urine

83

The constituents of this herbal paste.

CASE STUDIES

A. Gadhi soils –white soil

The main constituents are local soil, fine sand, cow dung, quick lime, extracts of Belphal , fibers of jute and water for mixing. The mixture is allowed to mature for a minimum period of 30 days and kneaded everyday.

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B. Brick temple at Sirpur M.P.

(7th century A.D.)

This temple is among the best examples of brick temples of ancient India.

B. Mud flooring.

The floors of Padmanabhapurum palace (1601 A.D) in

Kerala were made of a material that is unique blend of

burnt coconut shells, quick lime, palm toddy, the whites

of eggs and extracts of certain herbs.

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Ancient techniques mentioned in Shilparatna were successfully used for restoration of Ajantha paintings Ref. Singh & Arbad, 2014

a - ingredients for the preparation of mud mortar, b - preparation of adhesive extract, c - Preparation of soil + lime + aggregates mixture, d - final step showing the preparation of mud mortar)

C-Ajantha paintings

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Consolidation of paintings with newly prepared mud mortar

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Experimental Studies

Research workers in different parts of world

conducted experimental studies on natural

polymers and found positive results as claimed

in ancient Indian literature. These were

summarized . (Ref. Satishchandra 2003, ch.

12, page 537-567).

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Year Name Product Purpose Ingredients

1983 Chandra & Aavik Cement

mortar

plasticizers Black Gram+

linseed oil

1985 Gangopaddhyay Low density

concrete

Heat

insulation

CNSL, Cinder

1986 Jain water

repellant

water

proofing

CNSL

1988 Ernesto et al Mud plaster Durability Cactus, Banana

1990 Singh et al Lime mortar Restoration Belgiri, black

gram

1990 Singh et al plasters and

mortars

Restoration Belgiri, black

gram, Jaggery

1996 Chandra et al Concrete Durability Veg. oils

1997 Chandra et al Mortar &

Concrete

Workability

,Strength

Cactus juice

ISC-2015 Mumbai 91

Home Remedies

1-Hot decoction of Trifala is substitute of Drainex, to clean the chocked drain water pipes. 2. Double boiled linseed oil prevents rusting of iron, can substitute under coat for automobiles. 3. Double boiled linseed oil protects wooden doors and windows from white ants. Second coat (oil paint) to be applied after one year.

It can be concluded that;

1. Ancient Indian engineers had adequate knowledge of Indian botany and knew how to implement this knowledge for strength, durability and aesthetic purposes.

2. With the advent of modern materials, organic materials were replaced by synthetic materials.

3. However the secret of endurance of Indian heritage structures lies in building materials and the construction techniques.

Conclusions

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Ancient References

•Aparajitprichha- (12th to 13th Century A.D.), by

Bhuvana Dev Acharya

•Brihatitasamhita or Varahsamhita (5th Century A.D.),

by Varahmihir

•Manasollas or AbhilisharthchintamaNi (1124 A.D.) by

of King Someshwara

•Mayamat (5th Century A.D.), by Sage Maya

•Rig Veda (3000 B.C.)

•Sakaladhikar, (5th Century A.D.), by Sage Agasta

•Shatapath Bramhan (5th Century B.C.)

•Shilpratna (5th Century A.D.),by Shrikumar,

•Shukla-Yajurveda samhita-(2500 B.C.)

•Tantrasamuchhyaya-(1428 A.D.),

•Vastuvidya Savyakhya (1500 A.D.)

•Vishnu-dharmottara Pooran - (2000 B.C.)

Modern References

Nene,A.S. (2009),” Geotechnical engineering of ancient India”, Pub. Pune Vidyarthi Gruha, Pune.

Satish Chandra(2003),”Ancient Building Materials in India”, Tech

Books International, N.Delhi. Vaze,K.V. (1924),“ Prachin Hindi Shilpasar” (Essence of ancient

Indian Engineering Philosophy) ,a Marathi Book, Pub. ,Varada Publications Pune.

Singh, M and, Arbad, B.R.(2014),” Ancient Indian painting recipes

and mural art technique at Ajanta”, International journal of conservation science, volume 5, issue 1, January-march 2014: 35-50

Kadambini (1999),Ed. and Pub. by P.S.Oza,Jaipur,

Visit Late G.G.Joshi Shilpa Sanshodhan Trust Library, 53 Ramkrishna Nagar, Nagpur.

This presentation is based on texts available in, “Ancient Indian Shilpashastra library”, established by Late Shri G.G.Joshi of Nagpur.