Indian sandstone also called Indian sedimentary rock due to deposition and lithification of clastic material in sedimentary basin which is a consolidated masses of sand deposited by moving water or by wind. Mainly the composition sand size are 0.625 to 2nm, the grains of sandstone are held together by cementing material which may be siliceous or ferruginous.
Mostly sandstone are composed of quartz with some other minerals in it due to which sandstone have variety of colors such as red (light to dark and flashy color), brown ,pink, yellow, white ,black etc. The quartz bearing sandstone are at some places converted into quartzite through thermal metamorphism usually related to tectonic activity within orogenic belts.
Geologically the sandstone rocks are found in almost the geologic formation from Proterozoic to recent. The Precambrian rocks lack in sandstone because all the rocks of this era are metamorphosed and now, they are found as quartzite which is also a tough stone. the most popular sandstone are found in Marwar supergroup & Vindhyan supergroup.
Indian sandstone reserves are found over the states Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujrat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Karnataka, Orrisa, etc.
Popular Indian Sandstones
Some commercial popular Indian Sandstone product from India are Jodhpur pink, Jodhpur red, Jaisalmer yellow, Tint mint, White mint, Mint fossil, Modak, Agra red, Rainbow sandstone, Raj green, Teak wood, Buff brown, Dholpur chocolate and pink etc.
Indian Sandstone is a excellent building stone this can be chiselled & dressed to a smooth surface in various attractive shapes. The sandstone has a variety of uses such as roofing , flooring, paving, paneling, beams, pillars, arches, doors and window sills, wall facings, sculptures, utensils, tables & chairs etc .
It has extreme weather resistant property i& also posses highly resistant property to acids & alkali’s.
Sandstone usage is associated with ancient landmark in Rajasthan. Sandstone is termed as future stone by western architects , use of Indian sandstone in fine art work can be seen in building of different types.
JODHPUR SANDSTONE
From thousands of years sandstone has been quarried from jodhpur and used in construction. It can be seen in the form of archeological monuments & the cenotaphs build all around the jodhpur. Large scale quarrying was done in 14th century to build one of most magnificent fort of india mehrangarh fort & the grand ummed bhawan palace in jodhpur .
Due to its superior quality it is exported to Canada Japan uk and middle east countries . also with availability of new machineries it has been started cutting and polishing of sandstone with less thickness and has beautiful outcome . due to straight/curve lines of bedding and attractive figures developed due to iron solutions , the cut sandstone after polishing looks very attractive ,it has resulted in it use in placeof marble/granite.
Physical & chemical properties of jodhpur sandstone
The color of jodhpur sandstone varies from red, pink brown and white , the variation is result of the binding material and its percentage constituents .
here are some its physical properties :-
| Water absorption capacity | 1.26% |
| Density | 242kg/m3 |
| Compressive strength | 390kg/cm3 |
| Modulus of rupture | 220kg/cm3 |
Chemical properties of jodhpur sandstone
| Sio2 | 96.60% |
| Fe2o | 1.20% |
| Al2o3 | 1.00% |
| Cao | 0.28% |
| Mgo | 0.20% |
| Loi | 0.50% |
Sandstone has different surface texture which varies according to their formation however stones are fabricated as the desired texture & the usage.
Here are some work done on jodhpur sandstone are :- Natural, Polished, Flames, Honed, Bush hammered, Sawn, Sand blasted
And edges as:- machine cut/sawn edges , hand chisellled edges, chamfered edges .
Due to its workability Jodhpur sandstone are highly admired for its natural beauty & architectural property which makes its useful for interiors and exterior decoration.
Jodhpur sandstone because of its strength resistance to abrasion & aesthetic look is one of the best sandstone in world. Sandstone from other regions are of best quality but jodhpur sandstone because of its chemical and physical properties stands far from them .
JAISALMER LIMESTONE
Jaisalmer sandstone (yellow marble) belongs to Jaisalmer formation of Jurassic age of Indian Sandstone. It is hard and compact with low porosity which has been classified into oolitic to bioclastic, grainstone,packstone to wackestone.
The yellow colored limestone of of Jaisalmer famous for golden stone the architectural heritage built of this limestone , imparts an exquisite character to Jaisalmer city , which is popularly known as golden city . the Jaisalmer fort or sonar qila (golden fort) has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage site .
The common use of Jaisalmer stone includes floor tiles, wall claddings, counter tops, sculptures & most importantly as an ornamental stone.
Jaisalmer limestone formations stratigraphic successions varies from ages Oxfordian , Collovian, buthonian , bajacian, and early jurrasic. These are place to place deposits near by Jaisalmer.
Jaisalmer limestone was first used in 12th century for constructing the majestic Jaisalmer fort
This limestone takes fine polish & is commercially sold under misnomer “yellow marble” or “yellow Jaisalmer marble”
Physical properties of Jaisalmer limestone
| Water absorption | 1.67% |
| Modulus of rupture n/mm2 | 21 |
| Compressive strength n/mm2 | 58 |
Chemical analysis of Jaisalmer limestone ita gold & tariwala marble
| Mineral | ITA Gold | Tariwala Marble |
| SiO2 | 20.46% | 3.74% |
| Al2O3 | 0.87% | 1.60% |
| CaO | 40.04% | 51.24% |
| MgO | 0.40% | 0.40% |
| Fe2O3 | 0.85% | 0.94% |
| TiO2 | 0.00 | 0.80% |
| LoI | 32.04% | 40.72% |
| AI | 4.5% | 0.00 |
Blocks are cut into based upon the texture, there are two locally known commercial variety namely tariwala marble & the ita gold marble. Tariwala is softer than ita gold & can be easily carved . it is widely used in intricate carvings , sculpture , jallis (laticework) etc. ita gold shows dark brown linear pattern against the yellow background , it is commonly used for flooring and wall cladding.
Apart from heritage forts, havelis, temples mosques it has been also used as floral carvings, sculptures, fine arts, floorings, latticework, inlay work (as of done at agra fort, red fort Delhi, and Itimad-ud-daulah tombs Agra, golden temple etc.) garden fountains, stairs, tabletop, wall cladding, and also various types of utensils.
There are still many more types of Indian sandstones. You can read about them in our other articles.
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