Proterozoic Slates from Chamba and Kangra: a Heritage Stone Resource from Himachal Pradesh, India

The Heritage Stone Subcommission (HSS), under the aegis of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), accords Global Heritage Stone Resource status to stones used in architectural heritage sites that are particularly important for local cultures and traditions. The Proterozoic slates of Himachal Pradesh have been used extensively in the architectural heritage of the Himalayan region of India. The deposits, occurring in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Kullu, Shimla, Sirmaur, Kinnuar, and Solan districts, have been quarried as a building material since the distant past for use in roofing, paving, fencing, and flooring. It can be found in prominent historic buildings such as the Shimla Town Hall Building, the Gaiety Theatre, and the Bandstand (Shimla); the Sarahan Palace and Bhimakali Temple (Sarahan); and the Pragpur heritage village and the temples of Champavati and Laxmi Narayan (Chamba), to name just a few. The crudely foliated varieties are employed locally as masonry in traditional Kath-Khuni architecture (cator-and-cribbage buildings using stone and local wood).