A collaborative project between the Indian Institute of Science and heritage scholars has used Artificial Intelligence to decode complex 10th-century Sanskrit manuscripts belonging to the Vaikhanasa tradition. The results show that ancient architects used a sophisticated understanding of soil mechanics and load-bearing capacities to design the foundations of massive South Indian temples.
The study reveals that builders used a specific mixture of river sand, crushed stone, and organic resin to create 'floating foundations' that could withstand seismic shifts and the weight of granite towers (gopurams). This research provides a scientific validation of the Shilpa Shastra principles, demonstrating that ancient Indian engineering was as much about chemical soil stabilization as it was about stonemasonry.