Archaeologists and manuscript conservators have recovered a rare 11th-century birch-bark manuscript written in the Sharada script from a remote monastery in the Kishtwar region of Jammu and Kashmir. Titled 'Bhu-Kampa-Vidhan', the text is a specialized treatise on ancient Indian seismology, documenting local seismic events and outlining architectural strategies for earthquake-resistant temple construction.
The manuscript is particularly notable for its description of 'Sand-Dampening' foundations, where layers of river sand and charcoal were used to isolate structures from ground tremors. Scholars believe this text provides the missing link between the theoretical observations of the Puranas and the practical engineering seen in the stone temples of the Himalayas, offering a unique scientific perspective on how ancient civilizations adapted to high-risk tectonic zones.