Stones of India
Encyclopedia
India
possesses a wide spectrum of dimensional stones that include granite
, marble
, sandstone
, limestone
, slate
, and quartzite
, spread out all over the country.
India is also amongst the largest producer of raw stone material and the sector is quite developed and vibrant in the South, as well as in Rajasthan
and Gujarat, with a dedicated resource of entrepreneur
s. India also has an indigenous resource of machinery and tool
manufacturers which cater well to the demands of this sector.
The Indian stone industry has evolved into the production and manufacturing of blocks, flooring slabs, structural slabs, calibrated - ready to fix tiles, monuments, tomb stones, sculpture
s, artifacts, cobbles
, cube
s, kerb
s, pebble
s and landscape garden stones.
has been influenced considerably by the disposition, development and use of stones and other construction materials. Dimension stone
s have also left deep imprints on the architectural heritage of the country. Innumerable temple
s, forts and palace
s of Ancient Indian Civilization
have been carved out of locally available stones. The Taj Mahal
at Agra
stands testimony to the age-defying beauty of Indian marble. Some of the ancient rocks cut wonders include Khajuraho Temple
, Elephanta Caves
, and Konark Temple
. Besides, all major archeological excavations
have revealed exquisitely carved statuettes and carvings
in stone. Ancient Buddhist monument
s like the Sanchi Stupa of 3rd century BC have also been carved out of stone.
This tradition of Stone Architecture has continued to the present era, with most of the important modern buildings in India like the Presidential House
, Parliament House, and Supreme Court
made from high quality sandstone
of Rajasthan
. The Bahá'í House of Worship
of New Delhi
stands testimony to the relevance of marble in modern Indian architecture
.
Stones are still the mainstays of civil construction
in India, with stones being used extensively in public buildings, hotel
s, and temples. It is increasingly being used in homes, with the use of stones now penetrating amongst the burgeoning middle class
of India.
The success of commercial stone industry solely depends upon defects in rock/stone. Natural defects in ornamental/commercial rock deposits adversely affect the quality of rock deposit. Detection of natural defects in decorative and dimensional stone industry play vital role in the quality assessment.
India is pioneer in the exploration, mining of commercial rock deposits and in establishing a firm base for stone industry. India, with an estimated resource of about 1,690 million cu m, comprising over 160 shades of Dimension Stone Granites (DSG), accounts for about 205 of the world resources. Of the 300 varieties being traded in the world market, nearly half of them are from India. Commercially viable granite and other rock deposits are reported from Andhra Pradesh
, Bihar
, Gujarat, Karnataka
, Madhya Pradesh
, Maharashtra
, Orissa
, Rajasthan
, Tamil Nadu
, Uttar Pradesh
, and others.
Gujarat
Amba Ji Marble is one of the finest marble produced in India. It can be easily compared with Makarana Marble
. It is highly calcic and is produced in a town called Ambaji
(famous for its temple of Durga Devi
). The marble has a very soft and waxy look, and is often used by sculptors.
Madhya Pradesh
Katni Range is famous for its beige coloured marble which is dolomitic but highly crystalline, with very fine grain size and some quartz intrusions. The marble accepts excellent polish. Another variety of the same range is red/maroon-colored marble.
'Jabalpur range' contains dolomitic marble of excellent whiteness. It is more often used as dolomite lumps for chemical and industrial uses.
deposits in the world, having excellent varieties comprising over 200 shades. India accounts for over 20% of the world resources in granite. Granite reserves in India have now been estimated by the Indian Bureau of Mines at over 42,916 million cubic metres. Splendid black and multicolour varieties of granite are available in the states of Karnataka
, Andhra Pradesh
, Tamil Nadu
and Uttar Pradesh
. Granite deposits are also widespread over the provinces of Rajasthan
, Bihar
, West Bengal
, and Gujarat. India is the largest exporter of granite and granite products in the world.
reserves in India are spread over the states of Andhra Pradesh
, Assam
, Bihar
, Gujarat, Haryana
, Madhya Pradesh
, Meghalaya
, Mizoram
, Karnataka
, Orissa
, Punjab
, Rajasthan
, Uttar Pradesh
, Tamil Nadu
and West Bengal
. Over 90% of the deposits of sandstone are in Rajasthan, spread over the districts of Bharatpur
, Dholpur
, Kota
, Jodhpur
, Sawai-Madhopur, Bundi
, Chittorgarh
, Bikaner
, Jhalawar
, Pali
, and Jaisalmer
.
reserves in India are found in Rajasthan
, Haryana
, Himachal Pradesh
, Andhra Pradesh
, and Madhya Pradesh
. Deposits in Rajasthan are spread over the districts of Alwar
, Ajmer
, Bharatpur
, Tonk
, Sawai Madhopur
, Pali
, Udaipur
, Churu
, and Chittorgarh
.
occurrences in India. Other deposits include the Shahabad Stone of Gulbarga
and the Belgaum districts of Karnataka
, Cuddapah Stone of Kadapa
, Kurnool
and the Anantapur
& Guntur
districts of Andhra Pradesh, Milliolitic Limestone from Saurashtra Region, Gujarat, and 'Yellow Limestone' of Kutch district of Gujarat, amongst others.
, Macherla
, Neereducherla, Tandur
, ((shahabad)), Mudimanikyam of Kurnool
, Guntur
, Anantapur, Rangareddy, and Nalgonda
districts are widely used in our country for panelling, and flooring purposes. Sullavai limestone of Karminagar and Warangal
districts, massive limestones of Mudimanikyam, Nalgonda
districts. Andhra Pradesh's limestone reserves are estimated about 30,424 million tonnes. Total India's limestones are estimated about 93,623 million tonnes. Limestones are extensively utilized for manufacturing of cement
and also building stones, particularly flooring and roofing (Dept of Mines and Geology, AP,Venkat Reddy,2006).
bricks are quarried in huge quantities and are utilised as bricks in the construction of houses and for pavement
s in the states of Orissa
, Karnataka
, Goa
, and in other parts of coastal states. The felspathic sandstone occurring with the coal
seams as overburden is also used as building stone. The huge deposits of basalt
in the states of Maharashtra
, Karnataka, and Gujarat are used as building stones since ancient times. Other quartzitic bands, occurring with phyllite
s and schist
s, are also utilised for building purposes. Khondelites from Eastern coast are being used widely in sculpture
s and as a building material. Felsite
from Karnataka is being extensively used as a dimensional stone as well.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
possesses a wide spectrum of dimensional stones that include granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
, sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
, and quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
, spread out all over the country.
India is also amongst the largest producer of raw stone material and the sector is quite developed and vibrant in the South, as well as in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
and Gujarat, with a dedicated resource of entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
s. India also has an indigenous resource of machinery and tool
Tool
A tool is a device that can be used to produce an item or achieve a task, but that is not consumed in the process. Informally the word is also used to describe a procedure or process with a specific purpose. Tools that are used in particular fields or activities may have different designations such...
manufacturers which cater well to the demands of this sector.
The Indian stone industry has evolved into the production and manufacturing of blocks, flooring slabs, structural slabs, calibrated - ready to fix tiles, monuments, tomb stones, sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s, artifacts, cobbles
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
, cube
Cube
In geometry, a cube is a three-dimensional solid object bounded by six square faces, facets or sides, with three meeting at each vertex. The cube can also be called a regular hexahedron and is one of the five Platonic solids. It is a special kind of square prism, of rectangular parallelepiped and...
s, kerb
Kerb
Kerb or KERB may refer to:* An alternative spelling of Curb * Kerb weight* Kerb or peristalith, a Megalithic architectural stone ring* Kerberos , a computer authentication system...
s, pebble
Pebble
A pebble is a clast of rock with a particle size of 4 to 64 millimetres based on the Krumbein phi scale of sedimentology. Pebbles are generally considered to be larger than granules and smaller than cobbles . A rock made predominantly of pebbles is termed a conglomerate...
s and landscape garden stones.
Tradition of Stones
India's long history, dating back to 3200 BC32nd century BC
-Events:* c. 3150 BC: Narmer started to rule in Ancient Egypt.* c. 3125 BC: Narmer died.* 3102 BC: The Beginning of Kali Yuga according to Vedic Scriptures....
has been influenced considerably by the disposition, development and use of stones and other construction materials. Dimension stone
Dimension stone
Dimension stone is natural stone or rock that has been selected and fabricated to specific sizes or shapes. Color, texture and pattern, and surface finish of the stone are also normal requirements...
s have also left deep imprints on the architectural heritage of the country. Innumerable temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
s, forts and palace
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
s of Ancient Indian Civilization
History of India
The history of India begins with evidence of human activity of Homo sapiens as long as 75,000 years ago, or with earlier hominids including Homo erectus from about 500,000 years ago. The Indus Valley Civilization, which spread and flourished in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent from...
have been carved out of locally available stones. The Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal...
at Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
stands testimony to the age-defying beauty of Indian marble. Some of the ancient rocks cut wonders include Khajuraho Temple
Khajuraho
The Khajuraho Group of Monuments in Khajuraho , a town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District, about southeast of New Delhi, are one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for...
, Elephanta Caves
Elephanta Caves
The Elephanta Caves are a network of sculpted caves located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri in Mumbai Harbour, to the east of the city of Mumbai in the Indian state of Maharashtra...
, and Konark Temple
Konark
Konark is a small town in Puri district in the state of Orissa, India, on the Bay of Bengal, sixty-five kilometers from Bhubaneswar. It is the site of the 13th-century Sun Temple , built in black granite by King Narasimhadeva-I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. The temple is a World Heritage Site...
. Besides, all major archeological excavations
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...
have revealed exquisitely carved statuettes and carvings
Stone carving
Stone carving is an ancient activity where pieces of rough natural stone are shaped by the controlled removal of stone. Owing to the permanence of the material, evidence can be found that even the earliest societies indulged in some form of stone work....
in stone. Ancient Buddhist monument
Monument
A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, or simply as an example of historic architecture...
s like the Sanchi Stupa of 3rd century BC have also been carved out of stone.
This tradition of Stone Architecture has continued to the present era, with most of the important modern buildings in India like the Presidential House
Rashtrapati Bhavan
The Rashtrapati Bhavan or The Official Residence of the Head of the State is the official residence of the President of India, located at Raisina hill in New Delhi, India. Until 1950 it was known as "Viceroy's House" and served as the residence of the Viceroy and Governor-General of India...
, Parliament House, and Supreme Court
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
made from high quality sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. The Bahá'í House of Worship
Bahá'í House of Worship
A Bahá'í House of Worship, sometimes referred to by its Arabic name of Mashriqu'l-Adhkár ,is the designation of a place of worship, or temple, of the Bahá'í Faith...
of New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
stands testimony to the relevance of marble in modern Indian architecture
Indian architecture
The architecture of India is rooted in its history, culture and religion. Indian architecture progressed with time and assimilated the many influences that came as a result of India's global discourse with other regions of the world throughout its millennia-old past...
.
Stones are still the mainstays of civil construction
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
in India, with stones being used extensively in public buildings, hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s, and temples. It is increasingly being used in homes, with the use of stones now penetrating amongst the burgeoning middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
of India.
The success of commercial stone industry solely depends upon defects in rock/stone. Natural defects in ornamental/commercial rock deposits adversely affect the quality of rock deposit. Detection of natural defects in decorative and dimensional stone industry play vital role in the quality assessment.
India is pioneer in the exploration, mining of commercial rock deposits and in establishing a firm base for stone industry. India, with an estimated resource of about 1,690 million cu m, comprising over 160 shades of Dimension Stone Granites (DSG), accounts for about 205 of the world resources. Of the 300 varieties being traded in the world market, nearly half of them are from India. Commercially viable granite and other rock deposits are reported from Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, Gujarat, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, and others.
Marble
- Makrana marbles: the best white marble found in the world.60 km from kishangarh.
- Rajnagar Marble: World's largest marble-producing area, with over 2,000 gang saw units located in the nearby town of KishangarhKishangarhKishangarh is a city and a municipality in Ajmer district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It lies 18 miles north-west of Ajmer. It is well connected via Indian Railways and National Highway #8. It is the birth place of the Kishangarh style of painting, which is known for the beautiful depiction...
to process the material produced. Agaria is the best variety of this area, with numerous other varieties and patterns, primarily in white base. The marble is dolomiticDolomiteDolomite is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg2. The term is also used to describe the sedimentary carbonate rock dolostone....
and often has quartzQuartzQuartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
intrusions. - Andhi Marble: Located near the capital city of the state of JaipurJaipurJaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
(also known as the 'Pink City'), it is dolomitic marble with intrusions of tremoliteTremoliteTremolite is a member of the amphibole group of silicate minerals with composition: Ca2Mg5Si8O222. Tremolite forms by metamorphism of sediments rich in dolomite and quartz. Tremolite forms a series with actinolite and ferro-actinolite. Pure magnesium tremolite is creamy white, but the color grades...
, and is commonly known by the name of pista (pistachio) marble, because of the green coloured tremolite against an off-white background. One of the famous varieties of this area was known as Indo-Italian, owing to its resemblance with Satvario Marble. Most of the mining of this famous field is now banned by the Supreme Court of IndiaSupreme Court of IndiaThe Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
because of the vicinity of the area to the Sariska Tiger ReserveSariska Tiger ReserveThe Sariska Tiger Reserve is a national park in India located in the Alwar district of the state of Rajasthan. The topography of Sariska supports scrub-thorn arid forests, dry deciduous forests, rocks and grasses. This area was a hunting preserve of the erstwhile Alwar state and it was declared a...
. - Salumber Marble: Also known as Onyx MarbleOnyxOnyx is a banded variety of chalcedony. The colors of its bands range from white to almost every color . Commonly, specimens of onyx contain bands of black and/or white.-Etymology:...
, it has thick bands of green and pink hint. A resemblance to Onyx Marble from PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
gives it this name. This is also highly dolomitic. - Yellow Marble: Though it has not been metamorphosedMetamorphosisMetamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation...
and hence is still a limestoneLimestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, it is known as Yellow Marble in trade circles. It is mined in the Jaisalmer DistrictJaisalmer districtJaisalmer District is a district of Rajasthan state in western India. The city of Jaisalmer is the administrative headquarters of the district.As of 2011 it is the least populous district of Rajasthan .-Geography:...
. - BidasarBidasarBidasar is a city and a municipality in Churu district in the state of Rajasthan, India.The marble produced there is highly valued for its beauty, strength and resistance to fire and erosion. Used for a wide variety of articles, it has also been used to construct most of the many temples of the...
: These are ultra basic rocks in shades of brown and green colour. The criss-cross linear pattern given it a remarkable resemblance to a photograph of dense forest. These are also known as forest green/brown or fancy green/brown.
Gujarat
Amba Ji Marble is one of the finest marble produced in India. It can be easily compared with Makarana Marble
Makrana
Makrana is a town in the Nagaur district of Indian state of Rajasthan. Makrana is famous for the white stone as marble mined from the mines around it. It is said that the Taj Mahal was built from Makrana marble. Makrana is a small town, but it has plenty of marble outcrops. Most of the residents...
. It is highly calcic and is produced in a town called Ambaji
Ambaji
Ambaji is a census town in Banaskantha district in the state of Gujarat, India. Ambaji is an important temple town with millions of devotees visiting the Ambaji temple every year. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas....
(famous for its temple of Durga Devi
Durga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
). The marble has a very soft and waxy look, and is often used by sculptors.
Madhya Pradesh
Katni Range is famous for its beige coloured marble which is dolomitic but highly crystalline, with very fine grain size and some quartz intrusions. The marble accepts excellent polish. Another variety of the same range is red/maroon-colored marble.
'Jabalpur range' contains dolomitic marble of excellent whiteness. It is more often used as dolomite lumps for chemical and industrial uses.
Granite
India is endowed with one of the best graniteGranite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
deposits in the world, having excellent varieties comprising over 200 shades. India accounts for over 20% of the world resources in granite. Granite reserves in India have now been estimated by the Indian Bureau of Mines at over 42,916 million cubic metres. Splendid black and multicolour varieties of granite are available in the states of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. Granite deposits are also widespread over the provinces of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, and Gujarat. India is the largest exporter of granite and granite products in the world.
Sandstone
SandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
reserves in India are spread over the states of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, Gujarat, Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, Meghalaya
Meghalaya
Meghalaya is a state in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means the Abode of Clouds in Sanskrit and other Indic languages. Meghalaya is a hilly strip in the eastern part of the country about 300 km long and 100 km wide, with a total area of about 8,700 sq mi . The...
, Mizoram
Mizoram
Mizoram is one of the Seven Sister States in North Eastern India, sharing borders with the states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur and with the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Burma. Mizoram became the 23rd state of India on 20 February 1987. Its capital is Aizawl. Mizoram is located in the...
, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
. Over 90% of the deposits of sandstone are in Rajasthan, spread over the districts of Bharatpur
Bharatpur district
Bharatpur District is a district of Rajasthan state in western India. The town of Bharatpur is the district headquarters.-History:When Bharatpur was a princely state, it was the only political entity ever to have a Chartreuse colored flag.-Demographics:...
, Dholpur
Dholpur district
Dholpur District is a district of Rajasthan state in western India. The town of Dholpur is the district headquarters.Dholpur District has an area of 3084 km². The Chambal River forms the southern boundary of the district, across which lies the state of Madhya Pradesh...
, Kota
Kota district
Kota District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The city of Kota is the administrative headquarters of the district.During the period around 12th century AD, Rao Deva,a Hada Chieftain conquered the territory and founded Bundi and Hadoti...
, Jodhpur
Jodhpur district
Jodhpur District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The city of Jodhpur is the administrative headquarters of the district.As of 2011 it is the second most populous district of Rajasthan , after Jaipur.-History:...
, Sawai-Madhopur, Bundi
Bundi district
Bundi District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The town of Bundi is the district headquarters. It has an area of 5,550 km² and a population of 88,273...
, Chittorgarh
Chittorgarh district
Chittorgarh District is a district of Rajasthan state in western India. The historic city of Chittorgarh is the administrative headquarters of the district....
, Bikaner
Bikaner district
Bikaner District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The historic city of Bikaner is the district headquarters. Bikaner is also Division with the four district: Bikaner, Churu, Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh.-Geography:...
, Jhalawar
Jhalawar district
Jhalawar district is one of the 33 districts of Rajasthan state in western India. The district is bounded on the northwest by Kota district, on the northeast by Baran district, on the east by Guna district of Madhya Pradesh state, on the south by Rajgarh and Shajapur districts of Madhya Pradesh...
, Pali
Pali district
Pali District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The town of Pali is the district headquarters.-History:...
, and Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer district
Jaisalmer District is a district of Rajasthan state in western India. The city of Jaisalmer is the administrative headquarters of the district.As of 2011 it is the least populous district of Rajasthan .-Geography:...
.
Slate
SlateSlate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
reserves in India are found in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, and Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
. Deposits in Rajasthan are spread over the districts of Alwar
Alwar District
Alwar District is a district in Rajasthan, a state in northern India, with capital in the city of Alwar.The district is bounded on the north by Haryana state, and on the east by Bharatpur, on the south by Dausa, and on the west by Jaipur districts....
, Ajmer
Ajmer district
Ajmer District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The city of Ajmer is the district headquarters.Ajmer District has an area of 8,481 km², and a population of 2,180,526 ,Three main groups are; Hindu 1,869,044, Muslim 244,341, Jains 47,812...
, Bharatpur
Bharatpur district
Bharatpur District is a district of Rajasthan state in western India. The town of Bharatpur is the district headquarters.-History:When Bharatpur was a princely state, it was the only political entity ever to have a Chartreuse colored flag.-Demographics:...
, Tonk
Tonk District
Tonk District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The city of Tonk is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district is bounded on the north by Jaipur district, on the east by Sawai Madhopur district, on the southeast by Kota district, on the south by Bundi...
, Sawai Madhopur
Sawai Madhopur district
Sawai Madhopur District is a district of Rajasthan state in western India. Sawai Madhopur is the chief town and district headquarters. The district has an area of 4500 km², and a population of 1,116,031 with a population density of 248 persons per km²...
, Pali
Pali district
Pali District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The town of Pali is the district headquarters.-History:...
, Udaipur
Udaipur district
Udaipur District is one of the 33 districts of Rajasthan state in western India. The historic city of Udaipur is the administrative headquarters of the district....
, Churu
Churu district
Churu is a district of Rajasthan state of western India. The town of Churu is the administrative headquarters of the district.Churu lies in the Jangladesh region of northern Rajasthan...
, and Chittorgarh
Chittorgarh district
Chittorgarh District is a district of Rajasthan state in western India. The historic city of Chittorgarh is the administrative headquarters of the district....
.
Flaggy limestone
Kotastone of Kota district and Yellow Limestone of Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan are the prime limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
occurrences in India. Other deposits include the Shahabad Stone of Gulbarga
Gulbarga
Gulbarga is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Gulbarga District. It was formerly part of Nizam's Hyderabad state...
and the Belgaum districts of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Cuddapah Stone of Kadapa
Kadapa
Kadapa , formerly Cuddapah, is a city in the south-central part of Andhra Pradesh, India . The city's name originated from the Telugu word "Gadapa" meaning threshold or gate...
, Kurnool
Kurnool
Kurnool is located at . It has an average elevation of 273 metres .Kurnool lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. The Handry and Neeva rivers also flow through the city. The K.C...
and the Anantapur
Anantapur district
Anantapur District , ) is one of the 23 districts in Andhra Pradesh, India. The district headquarters is Anantapur City. It is currently a part of the Red Corridor.- Geography :...
& Guntur
Guntur
Guntur , is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located to the north and west of the Bay of Bengal. It is approximately to the south of the national capital, New Delhi and south east of state capital, Hyderabad. Guntur is the fourth largest city in Andhra...
districts of Andhra Pradesh, Milliolitic Limestone from Saurashtra Region, Gujarat, and 'Yellow Limestone' of Kutch district of Gujarat, amongst others.
Limestone deposits in Andhra Pradesh, India
Andhra Pradesh has the privilege of possessing about 32% of the country's total reserves of limestone. Commercial grade limestone deposits are being exploiting from BethamcherlaBethamcherla
Bethamchurla, known in India as RS Rangapuram, is a census town and mandal headquarters in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, India.-Geography:...
, Macherla
Macherla
Macherla is a town and a municipality in Guntur District in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located on the bank of Chandra Vanka.- Geography :Macherla is located at . It has an average elevation of 136 metres ....
, Neereducherla, Tandur
Tandur
Tandur is a municipal town and mandal in Rangareddy district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Tandur is 125 km from Hyderabad by bus and 110 km by train. Tandur is the largest town in western Rangareddy district and the largest Municipality in Rangareddy dist. It is famous for...
, ((shahabad)), Mudimanikyam of Kurnool
Kurnool
Kurnool is located at . It has an average elevation of 273 metres .Kurnool lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. The Handry and Neeva rivers also flow through the city. The K.C...
, Guntur
Guntur
Guntur , is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located to the north and west of the Bay of Bengal. It is approximately to the south of the national capital, New Delhi and south east of state capital, Hyderabad. Guntur is the fourth largest city in Andhra...
, Anantapur, Rangareddy, and Nalgonda
Nalgonda
Nalgonda is a town and a municipality in Nalgonda district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Its name is derived from two Telugu words Nalla and Konda . Nalgonda in the past is referred to as Nilagiri. During the period of Bahamani kingdom, it had been renamed as Nallagonda...
districts are widely used in our country for panelling, and flooring purposes. Sullavai limestone of Karminagar and Warangal
Warangal
Warangal is a city and a municipal corporation in Warangal district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Warangal is located northeast of the state capital of Hyderabad and is the administrative headquarters of Warangal District. This district is a combination of three cities: Warangal,...
districts, massive limestones of Mudimanikyam, Nalgonda
Nalgonda
Nalgonda is a town and a municipality in Nalgonda district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Its name is derived from two Telugu words Nalla and Konda . Nalgonda in the past is referred to as Nilagiri. During the period of Bahamani kingdom, it had been renamed as Nallagonda...
districts. Andhra Pradesh's limestone reserves are estimated about 30,424 million tonnes. Total India's limestones are estimated about 93,623 million tonnes. Limestones are extensively utilized for manufacturing of cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
and also building stones, particularly flooring and roofing (Dept of Mines and Geology, AP,Venkat Reddy,2006).
Other dimensional stones
There are some other dimensional stones being quarried and used in consumption, in addition to the dimensional stones already detailed above. LateriteLaterite
Laterites are soil types rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are rusty-red because of iron oxides. They develop by intensive and long-lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock...
bricks are quarried in huge quantities and are utilised as bricks in the construction of houses and for pavement
Sidewalk
A sidewalk, or pavement, footpath, footway, and sometimes platform, is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a curb...
s in the states of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, and in other parts of coastal states. The felspathic sandstone occurring with the coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
seams as overburden is also used as building stone. The huge deposits of basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
in the states of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, Karnataka, and Gujarat are used as building stones since ancient times. Other quartzitic bands, occurring with phyllite
Phyllite
Phyllite is a type of foliated metamorphic rock primarily composed of quartz, sericite mica, and chlorite; the rock represents a gradation in the degree of metamorphism between slate and mica schist. Minute crystals of graphite, sericite, or chlorite impart a silky, sometimes golden sheen to the...
s and schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
s, are also utilised for building purposes. Khondelites from Eastern coast are being used widely in sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s and as a building material. Felsite
Felsite
Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals. Felsite is a field term for a light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition...
from Karnataka is being extensively used as a dimensional stone as well.