Department of Civil Engineering

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GUWAHATI

An
article on
Rock-cut temple at Masrur, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh

Submitted To
Dr. Vivek Padmanabha
(Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering)

Submitted By
Yogesh Nautiyal
Roll. No. - 234104212
Programme – MTech
 Rock-cut temple at Masrur, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh
1. Introduction
Nestled in the serene landscapes of Himachal Pradesh, the Rock-Cut Temples of Masroor stand
as silent sentinels, bearing witness to centuries of history and architectural ingenuity. Carved into
the majestic cliffs of the Kangra Valley, these temples showcase a unique blend of rock-cut
craftsmanship and religious significance, making them a must-visit destination for history
enthusiasts and spiritual seekers alike.

The Masroor Rock-Cut Temples consist of a complex of 15 monolithic rock-cut structures,

primarily dedicated to Lord Shiva. The main temple, known as Thakurdwara, is the largest and
most elaborate, with a sanctum sanctorum adorned with finely carved idols and intricate friezes.
The other temples in the complex follow a similar architectural pattern, each contributing to the
overall grandeur of the site.

Fig. Rock-cut Hindu temples of Masrur

2. Mythological Depictions
The Masroor Temples are rock cut temples, sometimes called the Ellora of Himachal. They are
believed to have been first built by Pandavas while they were travelling through these mountains;
historically they belong to the 7th and 8th centuries. They must have been built by the Katoch
Dynasty; the information available is very little though. The temples are magnificent structures,
carved into the rock and rising towards the heavens. These are covered with amazingly detailed
carvings depicting Shiva, Kartikeya, Indra, Surya, as well as many forms of the goddesses. The
main shrine today has idols of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana found here during the excavation
though it is believed to have been a Shiva Temple. Steps cut into a mountain nearby and lead to a
sort of store house, where some broken idols were found. This hillock also provides a superb
view of the temples against the Dhauladhar Ranges in the background.
3. Geotechnical Assessment
3.1 Lithological Assemblage

The monolithic block of the monument de facto made up of rocks comprising massive
sandstone with interlayers of clay, shale, and siltstone. The alternate bands of sandstone,
siltstone and clay shale used for chiseling out the monument have varied geotechnical
properties. In general, geotechnical properties of the Siwalik rocks show great variance that
point out to the fact that these are not amenable to good and uniform polish, an essential
quality required for sculptures.

The general properties of these rock units (Table 1) as per the ‘Manual of Geotechnical
engineering’ (1988) are given below:

It is observed that there is considerable difference in modulus of elasticity of the

constituent of the monolithic block of the Siwalik exposure, poor competency of litho-
bands contributes towards deterioration of monolithic block of temple complex. This
highlights the poor choice of construction medium for the complex.

3.2 Weathering Conditions

Weathering and disintegration of rocks have defaced the statue and sculptures of the
temple complex to a great extent. In general, the pressure release within rock constituents,
development of joints and rock disintegration lead to physical weathering breakage of
sculptured features. The weatherability order in rocks also varies with quartz rich
sandstone being the least weathered as compared to clay shale which is dominated by
presence of clay minerals. The weathering inducing factors plus the efficacy with which
these factors succeeded in enhancing specific surface area of rock weathering was
responsible for eliminating some of the ornamental features of the complex. Desiccation
cracks in the clay-shale / claystone have also adversely affected the complex structure.
The weathering grade of rocks (Dearman, 1976) are slightly to moderate (Grade II & III) and
rocks are mostly discolored but less than half decomposed. The penetration of weathering
conditions deep along the joints has also been observed in certain blocks which is
responsible for natural scooping of idols and statutes.
 Fig. Defacing of the monument due to weathering and scouring in sandstone.

3.3 Structural Discontinuities

The entire temple complex chiseled out of a hill rock-mass made up of Siwalik sedimentary
sequence. The inherent structural discontinuities like bedding and tectonic joints make
several rock blocks which are vulnerable to failure in different mode of sliding viz. planar,
wedge, toppling and rock creep limited by the orientation of discontinuities within a rock
slope. The site is beset with the problems of adverse features like close jointing, inclined
joints and incipient joints in the rock-mass that have affected the aesthetics of the
sculptures (Photograph 3,8 ). It is imperative that the vulnerable joints may either be
sealed, clamped or anchored for mitigation of the risk of failures along the joints.

Fig. Dislodgement of joint controlled block within sandstone affecting the sculpture.
4. Challenges
The geotechnical analysis of the rock cut temple complex highlights severe deterioration
owing to differential weathering, alteration of minerals, variance in geotechnical properties
of rock mass, adverse jointing etc. These characters have rendered the monument in
ruinous state.

The choice of Siwalik sedimentary sequence for excavating the temple complex as such
not amenable to good polish and prone to several risk factor like difference in rock
competence and minor dislodgement involving influence of lithology and structure.

The site being active to close to active Himalayan belt has also been subjected to repetitive
ground shaking due to earthquakes. With clear identifications of inherent infirmities in the
structure, the strengthening of the complex with objective retrofitting base on the site-
specific identification of the need vis-a- vis design requirements of safety are strongly felt.

5. References
1. Sharma V.K and Kumar P. Geological Survey of India, NR, Lucknow, Faridabad,
Geotechnical Appraisal of Rock-cut Temples at Masrur, Dist. Kangra, Himachal Pradesh
2. Annon.1988. Manual of Geotechnical Engineering,Indian geotechnical conference (Dec
15-17), 1988 organized by IGS and MNREC,
3. Allahabad,pp122-123. Dearman, W.R.1976. Weathering classification in the
characterization of the rock: a revision. Bull.Int.Asso. Engg. Geol. V.13,pp123-127.