Gravity. According to modern science, gravity acts on everything in our planet, but do you know that there is a boulder in India that has been defying gravity for more than 1200 years? I give to you the Krishna Butter ball of India.
The Krishna Butter ball as it is now known, is a 20 ft high and 5 meters wide rock boulder weighing 250 ton. It is found in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu state of India. What is surprising about this boulder is that it stands on a sloppy hill on a base of 4ft. The history of this gravity defiant is clouded with mystery. There are only legends to tell us about the rock. Let’s take a deep dive into the boulder’s etymology and history.
How did the Boulder get it’s name?
The boulder got it’s name from Lord Krishna. One Hindu legend says that Lord was a butter lover when he was a child and he used to steal butter from his mother’s jar. Another myth says that a bolus of butter Lord Krishna stole fell from the sky and formed a giant orange clump. It is also known as ‘Vaanirai Kal’ in Tamil which means ‘Stone of the Sky God’. In 1969, a tour-guide is said to credit its present name, Krishna’s Butterball, to Indira Gandhi who was on a tour of the city. Now the boulder is stuck with the name.
Miracle or Science
How has this giant boulder managed to stand on such a small base of less than 4 sq-feet for over 1200 years? This question has troubled geologist and scientists for years. The rock has remained unmoved for thousands of years and has withstand tsunamis, earthquakes and cyclones. Half of the rock has been sheared off probably by erosion.
Many people have tried to move the boulder over the years but all to no avail. The palava King Narasimhavarman who believed the boulder was a ‘heavenly rock’ and wasn’t supposed to be used by sculptors made the first attempt to move the boulder but he failed.
In 1908, the Governor of Madras Arthur Lawley out of fear for his town which was at the base of the rock decided to move the ball. To accomplish this task, he used seven elephants but the rock didn’t move an inch.
Is the Krishna butter ball a miracle of science? Neither Geologists nor scientists have been able to come up with a cogent explanation for this geological marvel. Scientists has theorized it is just a natural formation but this does not explain its gravity defying pasture. Some says that it may be due to friction and centre of gravity. As Friction prevents the rock or ball from sliding down, due to which we can stand on sloping ground whereas centre of gravity allows it to balance it on a small contact area. (Source; “Do you know the mystery behind Krishna’s Butterball” https://m.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/amp/do-you-know-the-mystery-behind-krishnas-butterball-1475836673-1)
Whatever the case maybe, the Krishna butter ball of India remains a marvel to all who comes across it. It reminds us that nothing is impossible under the sun.
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