Union Steel Minister Ram Chandra Prasad Singh was left dumbstruck to witness the 800 years old iron beams used in the iconic Konark Sun temple while visiting the 13th-century monument on Friday.
Singh was surprised to see the massive Iron beams used in the construction of the UNESCO World Heritage temple which haven’t corroded much even after 800 years of exposure to salty air and water.
“The use of metals especially iron was rampant at the time of the construction of the Sun Temple. However, the metallurgical quality of iron used in the construction of the historical temple is beyond comprehension. There should be proper study on the quality of this iron,” said Singh.
“Modern know-how will continue to evolve. However, we have to study about old technology as well. We could learn a lot from it,” he said.
Singh will chair a conference with Mines and Industry Ministers of mineral-rich states of the country at Konark, today. Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and hosts Odisha are participating in the conference.