Cannabis preserved India's ancient Ellora caves from decay for 1,500 years
Indian archaeologists have discovered that hemp played a key role in preserving the ancient Ellora caves in the western state of Maharashtra. New findings have revealed that a mixture of hemp, clay and lime plaster prevented the UNESCO World Heritage site from decaying.
Hemp, locally known as ganja or bhang, played a key role in keeping the paintings at the sixth-century archaeological site intact, according to a new study by archaeologist Rajdeo Singh and botanist MM Desai. The two used techniques such as Fourier transform, infra-red spectroscopy and stereo-microscopic studies to conclude that cannabis sativa had helped in preventing insects at Ellora.
Built between the fifth and the tenth centuries, Ellora has a series of 34 Hindu, Buddhist and Jain caves, which represent the epitome of Indian rock-cut architecture. These include temples, monasteries as well as residential viharas and mathas, which have been carved out of solid rock from the region's Charanandri Hills.
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