Making Sense is a series where I try to make sense of things that are interesting but difficult to comprehend. Let’s unravel together, shall we?

If you’ve ever wondered how Indians built massive forts, temples, and administrative complexes hundreds and thousands of years ago, here’s the answer.

I recently visited Hampi, in Karnataka, which was the headquarters of the Vijayanagar empire around 500 years ago. There, I came across the famous Hampi boulders. In fact, the entire city is peppered with these giant stones. Architects of the ancient kingdom used these abundantly available stones as raw materials to create breath-taking architecture.

Here's an example of a technique elaborating how these stones were used to make walls of a fortified city.

1)      Tiny incisions were made in giant stones.

2)      Salt water and other liquids were poured into them to make that part of the stone vulnerable.

3)      Once that part became amiable, the stone was cut with precision into blocks.

4)      These blocks were stacked on top of each other in an interlocking format, like Legos.

5)      The interlocked, stacked stones naturally fortified with the passage of time resulting in a robust structure.

And this is one of the ways in which our ancestors built structures that stood the test of time.

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If you liked this story, do check out my historical fiction novel titled Jazeera: Legend of the Fort Island. It is available in the e-book (Kindle) and paperback formats on Amazon.