‘Ambaji White Marble’ (AWM), famous for its use in constructing religious buildings since long, has got GI (Geographical Indications) tag from the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and TradeMarks (CGPDTM). The marble has been used in the construction of the famous Ambaji Temple.
This marble, mined since the early medieval period from Ambaji in Banaskantha district, Gujarat, is one of the most popular marbles in the country. It is also used in residences these days.
Sources close to Ram Mandir’s development in Ayodhya, said that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, set up for the construction and management of Ram Mandir, has been given the option of using AWM due to its unique qualities. Since AWM absorbs less heat and remains cool even under direct sun exposure, it has been proposed to be used in the temple’s campus, they added.
AWM has been used in India’s well-known temples like Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Uttar Pradesh and in the newly-developed Parliament of India too.
Special features
Ambaji is famous for its white marble as it has the maximum whiteness – in the range of 95.8% -96.3%. The marble has uniform and closely packed fine grains. Experts say that AWM is translucent, can be polished to high gloss, and is relatively hard when compared to other varieties of marble found in India. That’s why it has been used in Indian temple architecture and stone sculpture carvings since the seventh century.
The relative hardness of AWM has enabled traditional artisans to carve minute, exquisite details. This can be seen in several Jain temples from the medieval period. Intricacy can also be seen in artefacts and handicrafts from the region carved in AWM.
GI tagging not only secures the legal rights of the artisans and others but also assists in uplifting the livelihood of the region. Around 200 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are dependent upon products of AWM, according to government sources.
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