41-ft ancient stone-carved pillars installed at Ropar IIT

Tribune News Service

Ropar, December 2

Around 41-ft-high stone-carved monumental pillars have been installed at the entrance of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar.

Stone Oasis, a Jaipur-based company, took over a year to complete the tallest carved stone panel in India.

The visually commanding installation spreads over 1,600 sq m of area and consists of four 12-m-high (41 feet) pillars with 16 facades in total. Each facade carries bas-relief carvings depicting a unique story built around central figures unearthed from the ancient Indus civilisation such as the iconic Dancing Girl (pictured left in The National Museum, New Delhi and above right on the pillar) or the figure often referred to as Pashupati, likely the earliest depiction of Hindu god Shiva.

The labour-intensive carving on the pillars is inspired by the narratives and techniques used by this ancient civilisation. These seemingly ancient pillars, however, fashion a metallic molecular structure on top of each of them, highlighting the fusion of contemporary knowledge with the ancient site.