NEW DELHI, Jan 19: The idol of Ram Lalla, infant Lord Ram, by Mysuru sculptor Arun Yogiraj, installed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple at Ayodhya, has been chiselled out of a three billion years old rock.
This was stated by C. Srikantappa, UGC-emeritus professor (retired), Department of Earth Sciences, University of Mysore. He said geologically rocks around Mysuru form part of the Archaen Dharwar craton and the basement rocks exposed around Mysuru are sialic in composition, termed as Peninsular gneiss. U-Pb isotopic studies of zircon grains in gneissic rocks gives an age of three billion years suggesting that they were the oldest rocks exposed in southern India.
He said these rocks are well exposed around the town of Sargur towards South West of Mysore and hence the name Sargur Schist Belt has been coined. Dr Srikantappa said based on extensive geological, petrological, and geochronological studies carried out by the Department of Earth Science, University of Mysore for more than three decades, it has been found that the rock used to carve the idol of Sri Ram Lalla is the oldest rock from south India.
The rock was taken from an active quarry in Guggegowdanapura in Mysuru district and similar rocks are found in other parts of India as well, said Dr Srikantappa.
(Manas Dasgupta)
