THIS IS BRIEF NOTE ON ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF SANDSTONE DEPOSITS AROUND JODHPUR,RAJASTHAN,NW INDIA

1. SANDSTONE OF JODHPUR
(RAJASTHAN ), INDIA.
PREPARED BY
RAKESH GOSWAMI,JODHPUR.
Umed Bhawan Palace Jodhpur (Raj.)
INTRODUCTION
Jodhpur is an important city of Rajasthan and second largest after Jaipur. It is
considered to be the gate way of ‘Thar desert’ . It is also an important tourist
centre with rich heritage and rich cultural tradition . In literature this town is
described as ‘Suncity’.
Sandstone has become synonymous with perfect architecture, unmatched
beauty and durability. As a building stone it has been known for centuries.
India is known as richest country in deposits of stones in world market.
Jodhpur sandstone is also best of the quality among the available sandstones in

2. the international stone market. It is fine grained, equigranular, hard, compact
sedimentary rock.
Jodhpur sandstone formation is oldest nomenclature in Western Rajasthan. It is
a part of the Trans Aravalli Vindhyans.
Western Rajasthan is fortunate to possess large deposits of sandstone found in
Jodhpur, Nagour, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer districts. Sandstone of various
colours, textures and patterns are found and exploited. Large scale mining of
sandstone in the form of dimensional as well as masonary stone are well
known in Jodhpur district . Jodhpur town and its environment is ambient with
monuments, palaces, residential buildings, temples etc. One can not move
around without appreciating the excellence of these structures made up of
Jodhpur sand stone.
One of the world’s finest sandstone locally known as ‘Chhittar’ is available in
whitish pink colour. it is extensively quarried near Fidusar, Sursagar,
Balsamand, Barli, Keru, Kali Beri, Bhuri Beri, Sodon ki Dhani etc. The
common colours of sandstone are pink, beige, red, brown etc.
Jodhpur sandstone is resistant to acid, alkalies, salinity and thermal variance and
is therefore also suitable for buildings near seashore. It is commonly used as
roofing material but it is a beautiful stone for pillars, arches, wall facings and
other exteriors. Its masonry use in the form of khandas is also extensive.
Workable sandstone deposits are found over about 150 sq. kms. area around
Jodhpur and there are 25 identified boundaries of sandstone comprising 11,305
delineated quarry licenses.
GEOLOGICAL SETUP
Jodhpur sand stone directly rest un-conformably over a rugged basement of
Malani rhyolites and granites. It is considered to represent the basal sequence of
a thick package of siliciclastic, carbonate and evaporite facies, the Marwar
super group.
Sandstone in western Rajasthan is scattered over an area of above 6,000 sq.
kms. associated with Nagour and Jodhpur groups of Marwar super group.
Formations are horizontally disposed and sandstone is found in beige, pink, red,
brown etc. colours with varied textures. Sandstone of Jodhpur and Nagaur
districts is confined to following stratigraphic horizons:
Nagour Group Tunklian Sandstone Gritty pebbly red sandstone
Nagour sandstone Brick red sandstone with
Clay stone and siltstone

3. Jodhpur Group Girbhaker Sandstone Coarse gritty micaceous sandstone
Sonia Sandstone Creamish (Chittar)
pink, reddish-maroon sandstone
The north-western portion of the Peninsular India is so constructed geologically
with Pre-Cambrian and early Palaeozoiec rocks that it affords a large variety of
exquisite building stones in abundant quantities. The State of Rajasthan is
fortunate in possessing rock formations from highly metamorphosed Pre-
Cambrian rocks down to unmetamorphosed flat lying marine sediments
extending over large tracts
NATURE OF SANDSTONE
Commercially Sandstone of Jodhpur- areas can be classified into two broad
categories.
1. Dimensional Sandstone with associated masonry Sandstone.
2. Masonry Sandstone.
Dimensional Sandstone means roofing stone, which is splittable along bedding
planes, as well as Blockable Sandstone, which is sawed and cut into desired
sizes & shapes. Such sandstone is found around Jodhpur and Balesar and it is
also associated with overburden and interburden of masonry sandstone.
Whereas second category of sandstone by virtue of its dull colours, coarse
texture and fractured nature can only be used as masonry stone. Majority of
dimensional sandstone are associated with Sonia formation whereas masonry
type of sandstone are found in Sonia, Girbhakar and Nagaur formation. On the
basis of colours and physical features author has identified three broad
categories of marketable sandstone namely Chittar (beige) sandstone, red
sandstone and brown sandstone.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERS
GRAIN SZE MEDIUM TO FINE GRAINED
COLOUR MAINLY CREAMY PINK, BEIGE, RED, REDDISH
BROWN
BEDDING COMMONLY MODERATE TO THINLY BEDDED
THICKNESS OF 10-22 MTR
SAND STONES
TYPE OF BUILDING MAINLY DIMENSION STONE AND ROOFING SLABS
MATERIAL PARTITION SLABS, STONE BRICKS
CHEMICAL CHARACTER Analysis

4. TYPE OF SAND STONE Si O2 Fe2O3 Al2 O3 CaO MgO LOI
JODHPUR CHHITAR 96.60 1.20 1.00 0.28 0.20 0.50
PHYSICO MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
TYPE OF SAND STONE
Jodhpur
Chhittar Red
1. Specific Gravity ASTM - C-97 2.40 2.53
2. WATER ABSORPTION (% WEIGHT) ASTM- C-97 2.21 1.67
3. MODULUS OF RAPTURE ASTM- C-99
a. DRY - PARALLEL TO RIFT PERPENDICULAR TO RIFT 18.-16 16-13
b WET - -do- 18-16 15-11
4. COMPRESIVE STRENGTH N/MM2 ASTM-170
A. DRY - PARALLEL TO RIFT PERPENDICULAR TO RIFT 93-72 91-100
B. WET - -do- 63-48 63-60
5. ABRASION - AV WEAR MIN. MAX. WEAR IS-1237 2.4-2.7 2.6-2.8
GENESIS OF SANDSTONE- sandstone is a sedimentary rock which is derived from
pre-existing sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic rocks. These earlier rocks are broken
down by the agents of geological denudation- frost, rain, wind, ice, river or sea action. The
material thus provided is in most cases moved from its place of origin and deposited
elsewhere, the transport being performed either as solid particles or as solutions. In addition,
sedimentary rocks are produced by the accumulation of material of organic origin.
The sedimentary rocks are usually laid down in layers, one on top of the other,
which differ to a more or less well-marked degree in composition, grain-size,
colour or some other property. Such layers are called beds or strata. The
separation-planes between the beds are bedding-planes, and the whole set of
beds shows stratification. A group of beds is called a formation.
The consolidation of the original fragmentary material is brought about either
by welding or by pressure due to the weight of overlying beds, or by
cementation whereby the constituent fragments are cemented together by the
deposition between them of a binding material such as calcium carbonate, silica
or iron-oxides.
CLASSIFICATION OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS-Three
classes of sedimentary rocks can be made on the basis of origin- (1)
mechanically-formed, (2) chemically-formed, (3) organically-formed.
MECHANICALLY-FORMED SEDIMENTARY ROCKS- This class of
sedimentary rocks is formed of fragments of preexisting rocks, which have been

5. transported into their new position by mechanical means. As examples of such
means may be instanced movement by wind or water or glacier-ice. Three
groups of these rocks are distinguished: (a) rudaceous or pebbly, (b) arenaceous
or sandy, (c) argillaceous or clayey.
a. Rudaceous or pebbly sedimentary rocks are consolidated gravels of
various types. The constituent pebbles are large; if they are angular the
rock is called a breccia, if they are rounded, a conglomerate. It must be
noted that breccias may be formed in various ways, for instance by the
fracture and re-cementing of a rock during faulting.
b. Arenaceous or sandy rocks consist of small grains, mostly of quartz,
cemented by a scanty bond of silica, iron oxide, calcium carbonate,
clayey material etc. The chief type is sandstone. Grit is an arenaceous
rock made up of angular fragments.
c. Argillaceous or clayey rocks consist of the finest fragments worn from
older rocks. Examples are: clay, retaining enough moisture to be plastic;
mudstone, containing little moisture and so not plastic, but still not
fissile; shale, a non-plastic clay-rock splitting along its bedding planes.
To this series may here be added slate, which is a rock of clay
composition with a well-developed cleavage-slaty cleavage- not often
coincident with the original bedding planes. Slate is really a
metamorphic rock and its slaty cleavage results from the parallel
orientation of flaky minerals formed when a shale has been subjected to
considerable pressure.
GEOTECHNICAL AND PETROLOGICAL PROPERTIES.
The processes of welding and cementation generally act together in the
hardening and consolidation of a sediment. Thus dust, mud or clay is converted
into clay, mudstone, or shale. Sand is changed into sandstone. Pabbles, cobbles,
and boulders are cemented together to form conglomerates and Breccias.
A single layer bounded by two bedding planes is a bed or stratum . The
thicknesses of beds may vary from many feet down to a fraction of an inch.
Very fine ,paper thin beds are known as laminae and are found only in material
of clay. silt or very fine sand grade.
The orientation of the constituents in this way brings about fissility, the ability
of certain fine grained sedimentary rocks to split easily along the bedding planes

6. . Fissility in coarser rocks may be due to the intercalation of thin layers of
clayey or micaceous material, as in many thin bedded sand Stone. (faikes)
Many sandstone contain layers in which flakes of white mica are abundant
(micaceous sandstone) the mica may be mixed with silty or calyey material in
thin beds or laminae and may cause the rock to split into thin slabs which are
coated with the spangles of mica. A sandstone of this character with a
calcareous cements, which splits readily along the micaceous layers into slabs
suitable for paving,is called flaggy sandstone or flagstones.
A freestone is a uniform thick bedded sandstone with few divisional planes. It
can be cut or worked easily in any directions and consequently forms a good
building stone . The term freestone is also applied to some limestones of similar
characters
USES:
Jodhpur Sandstone can be made available in different sizes like Blocks, Slabs
and Tiles etc. in different finishes/surface textures Natural, Sawed, Honed,
Polished, Sand blast, Flamed, Bush hammered, Pointed bush hammer, Chiseled
and in varied forms – which include Cladding, Paving, Panelling, Flooring,
Pathways, Foyers, lounges, Driveways, Porticos, Corridors, City Beautification,
F a c a d e s , L a n d s c a p e s , K I t c h e n s, Bathrooms, Beams, pillars,
roofing slabs, Monoliths, Crazy paving, Buch works etc. and many other tailor
made requirements as per Projects or requirements.
Jodhpur sandstone is not only remembered for their pleasant color i.e. Pink,
Brown & Red but also for attractive look, exquisite carving, durability and also
peculiar properties such as resistant to Weathering, Corrosion, Acid & alkali
resistant, Minimum water absorption, Thermal resistant, Mechanical strength
and has excellent bonding with Cement and Lime and therefore its most suitable
for flooring, interiors well as exterior Cladding, Particularly for Seashore
building (Due to its acid and thermal resistance and zero effect Saline Winds),
Multi storey Complex, Swimming Pools, Temples, Church’s, Mosque’s, Tomb
Buildings wide spread houses and buildings and flooring of chemical industries
in extreme climatic conditions.
JODHPUR SAND STONE USED IN SOME WORLD CLASS BUILDING
STRUCTURE LIKE-UMED
BHAWAN PALACE, JODHPUR (1939) ,MEHRANGARH FORT,
JODHPUR (1459) , VIDHANSABHA BHAWAN, JAIPUR MANDORE (9TH

7. AD), KARACHI HARBOUR, PAKISTAN (18TH AD) , PALACE OF
SULTAN OF OMAN (U.A.E.)
HOTEL MAURYA, DELHI , JODHPUR CITY RAILWAY STATION .
AND USED IN OTHER PARTS OF RAJASTHAN, INDIA AND ABROAD
EXPORT FUTURE
USED FOR INTERIOR LIKE PAVING, DRIVEWAYS, SWIMMING
POOLS, TERRACE, FOUNTAINS, CARWING IN WINDOWS, LAMP
SHADE, HANDICRAFTS, MAINGATE, RAILING, STATUE STAIRCASE
TEMPLE DOMES FRONT ELEVATION etc.
CONCLUSION:
Jodhpur sandstone because of its strength, resistance to abrasion and aesthetic
looks is one of the excellent sandstones of the world. Though its mining history
is five hundred years old, there is still a technological gap in the quarrying of
Jodhpur sandstone, which is being exploited in the most conventional manner. It
is one of the thrust sandstone areas, which has great scope of development
through sincere and joint efforts of the Government and the entrepreneurs.
Introduction of modern technology in mining and processing and use of
innovative marketing techniques are of crucial importance at this juncture.
Some enterprising entrepreneurs have taken initiatives on these lines and have
tried to put Jodhpur sandstone on the world map. Government of Rajasthan is
equally concerned about the development of sandstone and has actively joined
hands with the people of this industry for its sustained growth.
Jodhpur sand stone standardization has became impertive for marketing of sand
stone. there is need of presenting our products in national and international
market with complete details of stone characterization.

8. r

10. Vidhansabha Bhawan Rajasthan Jaipur