Structural Conservation of Monuments in South India

Structural Conservation of Monuments in South India while the archaeological, historical and architectural aspects of Indian Monuments can be said to have been studied to a greater extent, not much is known about their preservation work, otherwise known as the structural conservation. The conservation manual prepared by Sir John Marshal eight decades ago, was mainly intended to serve as a Hand Book to Conservatos and do not deal with the subject of the structural conservation as a whole. The present book makes a beginning to fill the gap. Structural Conservation work involves a proper diagnosis of the problem and taking remedial measures. For diagnosis, the conservation is expected to know the anatomy of the monuments and also about their deterioration. In the first part of this book, the construction methods of Buddhist Stupas, Hindu temples, and Islamic monuments are discussed based on site evidence from an engineering point of view. Concealed parts like foundations, particularly of Hindu temples get special attention. The trabeate technique, the dry stone masonry and the arcuate technique of Islamic structures are also examined in this book. Beginning with climatic causes, the various causes contributing to the deterioration of Indian monuments are identified in a separate chapter. After tracing the evolution of conservation principles and discussing about the structural analysis, the various techniques used as a part of structural conservations work like grouting etc. are furnished in the first part of this book. Seven case studies dealing with the structural conservation problems of an excavated site, a megalithic burial site, a Buddhist Stupa, a Rock-cut Monument, a temple, a tomb and a fort, all selected from Andhra Pradesh constitute the 2nd part of this book. The concluding chapter contains recommendations for better preservation of monuments. (jacket).…