Champak vs. Teak: Reassessing the Material Identity of the Rameshwaram Temple Pillars

Decades of preservation efforts at the Ramanathaswamy Temple have been guided by the assumption that its iconic 14+ foot mandapas are constructed from Champak wood. However, recent dendrochronological sampling and resin analysis suggest a composite construction using specific grades of Sal and Teak, challenging existing conservation protocols and historical texts regarding the temple’s 13th-century construction.

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