Dr. A. S. Nene Professor of Civil Engineering (Retd),

VNIT Nagpur

Civil Engineering Applications of

Indian Herbs

Normally engineers are not concerned

with botany. But one can find descriptions

of trees, plants, fruits related to

engineering applications, in many ancient

texts.

Different herbal formulations were used by ancient Indian craftsmen to improve the quality of their products. Engineering applications of botany can be grouped under following heads.

APPLICATIONS

1.Stone softening 2a.Bricks and Roofing tiles

2b.Earthen pots 2c.Ceramic pots

2d.Glazing of earthen pots 2e. Coloring of Clay pots

3.Lime Mortar 4a-Sunla

4b-Waterproof lime mortar 4c- Leveling coat of lime plaster

5. Tempering of tools 6. Varnish

7. Natural Colors 8.Waterproof cloth

9.Preservation of Ropes 10. Adobe floors

11. Adamantine Glue

1. Herbal paints for stone softening

•Mix powder atis root, Hiracus and red ochre in milk. Apply this paint to the stone and keep it overnight.•Grind Jatamasi,Koshta, Gayaratri Hirkus and chor in milk add coconut water. Apply the solution to the stone.•Grind and mix Jatamasi,Rog and Aswamari in rain water. Apply the solution to the stone.

Fig.1- stone softening

2a Bricks and Roofing tiles

Mix extracts of barks of trees (Pipal and Agar) in wet clay . Knead the clay daily for 30 day and the use for bricks or roofing tiles.

Fig.2a- Bricks and Roofing tiles

2b Earthen pots

Mix floor of Satu, powder of

Amaksh ,Tatwasi and coconut water to

clay in a proportion of 8 parts of clay and

1 part of admixtures.

Fig.2b- Earthen pots

2c. Ceramic pots

Prepare a mixture of Swesha,Guggul and

Kunda grass (one sixteenth of clay) and

curd (one eleventh of clay). Apply this

mixture to clay pot before baking in a

furnace.

Fig.2c- Ceramic pots

2d. Glazing of earthen pots

Apply a mixture of Ghee, honey and

Herb powder (Kapittha, Bilwa and

Niryas ) to clay pots. This process

imparts glazing to the china clay pots.

Fig.2d- Glazing of earthen pots

2e. Coloring of Clay pots

Mix sesame powder and resins of Kapittha and Beal trees. Add desired coloring agent (Kushta, Red ochure, orpiment etc). Polish the pot with the mixture to impart suitable color. Alternatively take equal parts of Sandlewood, Karpur, Gorochan and Agaru . Add clay 6 parts to the mixture in linseed oil. Apply this oil paint to earthen pots.

Fig.2e- Coloring of Clay pots

Fig.2e- painting ivory

3.Lime Mortar

Grind ripe bananas, fibers of cotton and pulp of cactus and mix in slaked lime to make a good quality lime mortar. Alternatively add decoction of barks of trees( Pipal. Amla,Kadamb) and paste of black gram to the slaked lime.

Fig.3 – Lime Mortar

4a-Sunla

Curd, milk, black gram paste, gud, ghee,

ripe bananas, coconut and mango pulp

are added to slake lime. Plaster made of

these materials is non-shrinking and

waterproof.

Fig.4a- Sunla or Lime Putty

4b-Waterproof lime mortar

Mix Ghee, coconut water, black gram

paste , extract of barks(Pipal), milk,

curd, decoction of Trifala, and Pichhit,

in proportion of 3,,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 and

11 parts to 100 parts of slaked lime.

Fig.4b- Waterproof lime mortar

4c: Leveling coat of lime plaster

M ix 3 parts of slaked lime and 1 part of

powder of dry unripe banana. Add water

to make butter like mixture. Such leveling

coat gives marble finish to the wall surface

Fig.4c- Leveling coat of lime plaster

5. Tempering of steel cutting tools

Milk of plant (Rui-Milky hedge),ash of sheep’s horn, excreta of pigeon is mixed in oil and mixture is applied to the tool which then heated and sharpened for long term sharpness. Alternatively banana ash is mixed in butter milk. The tool is kept immersed in the mixture overnight and then sharpened. Such tool can cut steel also.

Fig. 5- Tempering of steel cutting tools

6. Varnish

Extract of barks of milky trees (Vat,Pipal,Umber, Beal and cedar trees) is mixed in water. Mixture is boiled and sealing wax, Jatuling and Hingul is added to the oil. Such varnish is applied to wood for polishing and preservation.

Fig.6- Varnish

7. Natural Colors

Select wood of suitable colors from

forest. Crush into clean water. Filter the

mixture. Again crush the filtered wood

particles and repeat the procedure and

store the liquid color in an earthen pot.

Fig.7- Natural Colors

8. Waterproof cloth for hot air balloons

Apply three coats of decoction of barks of

trees (Umber, Kadamb, Mango , Hirda and

Behda) to the cloth. Then apply three coats

of black gram paste Soak the cloth in solution

of sugar and powders sea shells. Allow the

cloth to dry to make it water tight.

Fig.8- Waterproof cloth

9. Preservation of Ropes

Soak the freshly woven rope in coconut oil mixed with ripe bananas and hide glue.

Fig.9- Preservation of Ropes

10. Adobe floors

Floors made from poured and toweled mud, are softer and warmer to the touch than tiles or cement, and carry the rich colors of natural earth. Various additives have been tested to make adobe floors easy to create and maintain. One such additive is made from psyllium hulls ( Isabgol.) This additive makes the mud easy to work and acts as a binder when the floor dries. It reduces cracking and increases strength.

Floors made from poured and toweled mud

11. Adamantine Glue

A bonding agent was very essential for fixing idols,

in wall construction, when cement and other

modern materials were unknown. Even now these

glues are known as Astabandha, are prepared in

temple premises for fixing or re-fixing images of

gods. Four such glues are described below.

Formula Explained in Shilparatnakar

The ingredients are unripe fruits of Tinduka (Diospyros paniculata) and Kapittaka (Feronia elephantum), flowers of silk cotton (Morus Acedosa) seeds of Sallaki (Boswellia serrata), barks of Dhanavana and Vaca (Orris root).

Table IngredientsSn Sanskrit English/ Latin

1 Tinduka Fruits of Diospyros paniculata2 Kapittaka Feronia elephantum3 Shalmali Flowers of silk cotton 4 Sallaki Seeds of Boswellia serrata5 Dhanavana Barks of Orris root6 Vacha Barks of Orris root7 Shrivasaka A tree resin used as incense8 Raktabola Myrrh9 Guggulu Commiphora roxburghii10 Bhallataka Semecarpus anacardium11 Kunduruka Deodar tree resin12 Atasi Linum usikatissimum13 Bilvaphal Fruits of Aegle marmelos

Ancient texts mentions use of powder of Nirmali seeds to remove the turbidity of water, roots of Khus plant to give pleasant smell to drinking water and certain seeds to kill the bacteria present in the water. Use of Basil leaf was known for increasing self life potted water. Core of Jamun tree wood acts as algaecide which destroys the algae in 24 hours

12. Water treatment

The main constituents are local soil, fine

sand, cow dung, quick lime, extracts of

Belphal , fibers of jute and water for

mixing. The mixture is allowed to mature

for a minimum period of 30 days and

kneaded every day.

CASE STUDIES

A. Gadhi soils – white soil

The floors of Padmanabhapurum palace

(1601 A.D) in Kerala were made of a

material that is unique blend of burnt

coconut shells, quick lime, palm toddy, the

whites of eggs and extracts of certain

barks of trees and nuts.

B. Mud flooring

Conclusions

•It can be concluded that artisans of ancient India were well acquainted with the basic principles of engineering and properties of herbs.• Many of these techniques may be impracticable or irrelevant due modern products and processes, but one must appreciate the ancient Indian wisdom.

1. Aparajitprichha- (12th to 13th Century A.D) 2. Manasollas –(1113 AD) 3. Matsyapooran 4. Mayamat 5. Pade S.D. (1973), “Vanoushadhi Gunadarsh “ 6. Rig Veda Sakaladhikar, - by Sage Agasta 7. Samarangana Sutradhara 8. Shilpratna-(16th Century, A.D.), 9. Tantrasamuchhyaya-(1428 A.D.) 10. Varahsamhita- Brihatsamhita11. Varahsamhita- Brihatsamhita 12. Vastu Vidya Savyakhya 13. Vishnu-dharmottara Pooran 14. Yajurved Samhita (B.C.2500)

References

Modern References

1.Vaze,K.V. (1924),“ Prachin Hindi Shilpasar” (Essence of ancient Indian Engineering Philosophy) ,a Marathi Book, Pub. ,Varada Publications Pune.

2.Nene,A.S. (2009),” Geotechnical

engineering of ancient India”, Pub. Pune

Vidyarthi Gruha, Pune.

THANKS