Effects Of Climate On Monuments : Bhubaneswar Stone Monuments Suffer The Most

Article Written By EIH Researcher And Writer

Aadrit Banerjee

Bhubaneswar, located in the Indian state of Odisha, is known popularly as the city of temples, as the city is dotted by shrines and temple complexes carved intricately of stone bearing witnesses to history, to everlasting faith and devotion. These temples today carry the mark of climate deterioration, and this article, referring to a study conducted by J.S. Bhargav, R.C. Mishra and C.R. Das, explores the effect of environmental degradation on four such stone monuments in India’s temple town, namely the Bharateswara temple, built in seventh century AD, Vaital temple of eighth century AD, Parasurameswara temple, beginning of the seventh century AD, and Mukteswara temple, dating to the tenth century AD.

The monuments are built of a variety of stones, most of which were available locally, the scholars point out. Two types of fine-grained sandstone, locally called the ‘Rajarania stone’, are mostly used. The reddish variety is used in Mukteswara, while the yellow variant is seen in Rajarani temple (built in the eleventh century AD). Slabs of a reddish white stone similar to pomegranate, containing iron oxides, could be found in Vaital temple, while a fine-grained white sandstone has been noticed also on parts of Parasurameswara and Vaital. The stones are carved, worked upon, chiseled, and they lend to the temples their exquisite and unmatched beauty which today is being threatened by environmental degradation.

The structure and the fine carvings of these temples have been severely impacted due to climate change. The stone blocks of Bharateswara and Parasurameswara temples show cracks, exfoliation, breaks and damaged features including rounded edges of carvings. Stone breakage due to thermal dilations has also been spotted in Mukteswara shrine. The growth of small plants lead to the structural deterioration of the monuments, while crusts of biomass deposited on the fine carvings reduce their aesthetic value.

The extensive study identified suspended particulate matter, SO2 and NOx as the main atmospheric pollutants responsible for the degradation of the monuments. The main salt found on the stone surfaces was Calcium Chloride, CaCl2 which precipitates from the atmosphere. Traces showed that the stones also had Calcium and Magnesium deposits. Given the climate of Bhubaneswar, where high temperatures exist during daytime, and there is subsequent cooling during the nights, the “Calcium salts within the crust of the stone surface can cause exfoliation in two ways: through crystallization to a higher hydrate, i.e., CaCl2.6H20; or through differential thermal expansion”.

A mix of anthropogenic factors like vehicular and industrial congestion near the monuments as well as mining and construction activities, lack of awareness and efficiency of the government bodies, and biological and climactic factors are majorly responsible for the adverse environmental impacts on these stone monuments of Bhubaneswar.

Even the Puri Jagannath Temple, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Konark Sun Temple, both of them located a few kilometers from Bhubaneswar, show signs of climate strain with the temple surfaces being adversely affected. While people are aware of the yellowing of Taj Mahal, not many are aware how the climate effect is widespread and jeopardizes monuments indiscriminately, across the length and breadth of the globe. The government and the authority remain lax, and in their bid to pool in tourists forget this aspect of proper conservation and preservation of the monuments as well as the climate. It is at this important juncture that such studies become intensely important. With growing levels of pollution, and erratic climate patterns due to increasing levels of global warming, the monuments which bear upon their bosoms our tangible heritage stand at a disadvantage — this necessitates studies like these which explore the physico-chemical environmental factors on monuments and ultimately pave the way forward for the creation and adoption of sustainable conservation methods.

References:

• Bhargav, J. S., et al. “Environmental Deterioration of Stone Monuments of Bhubaneswar, the Temple City of India.” Studies in Conservation, vol. 44, no. 1, 1999, pp. 1–11. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1506690. Accessed 8 Nov. 2022.